WALES

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people aged  (a) 30 to 39,  (b) 40 to 49,  (c) 50 to 59 and  (d) 60 to 69 years have (i) applied for jobs, (ii) received interviews and (iii) gained (A) temporary and (B) permanent jobs in his Department in 2007.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not ask candidates for jobs to provide their dates of birth or age, so it is not possible to identify the ages of applicants or interviewees.
	The Wales Office has not recruited any temporary staff in 2007.
	The Wales Office has some staff in each of the age ranges stated.

Departmental Ministerial Advisers

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the pay band is of each special adviser in his Department.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has two special advisers, each of whom is in Special Adviser Pay Band 1 (£38,862-£51,122 per annum).

Departmental Opinion Polls

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what opinion polls the Department has conducted of  (a) the public and  (b) staff since 27 June 2007; and what the (i) name of the firm employed to conduct the poll, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost to the public purse was in each case.

Peter Hain: None.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time equivalent staff are responsible for brand management and marketing in his Department.

Peter Hain: None.

Galileo: Cardiff

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent steps have been taken to promote Cardiff's bid to be the permanent home of the proposed Galileo Supervisory Authority.

Peter Hain: The Government are continuing to take part in negotiations with European Commission partners regarding future funding of the Galileo project. A decision is expected before the end of the year.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Proof of Identity

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when the new Houses of Parliament pass  (a) designs and  (b) text on the reverse were authorised; and how much the introduction of the new passes has cost.

Nick Harvey: The new Houses of Parliament passes are a necessary component of the higher-security access system. The pass access system including the design of the passes was authorised by the project board and endorsed by both the Administration Committee on 26 June 2007 and the Joint Committee on Security (JCOS) on 3 July 2007. The cost of producing the passes—including a stock expected to last for at least the first year—was £70,000.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Burglary: Custodial Treatment

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of those convicted for burglary committed in Northern Ireland were given a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The following table documents the number convicted for burglary and the number and percentage of those who were given a custodial sentence.
	Data cover the calendar years 1996 to 2005 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; therefore only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Number convicted and number and percentage given a custodial sentence for burglary 1996 to 2005 
			   Number convicted  Number given a custodial sentence  Percentage given a custodial sentence 
			 1996 801 255 32 
			 1997 715 233 33 
			 1998 647 186 29 
			 1999 703 285 41 
			 2000 703 283 40 
			 2001 496 207 42 
			 2002 595 249 42 
			 2003 602 291 48 
			 2004 620 272 44 
			 2005 557 265 48

Community Policing

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on plans to develop further community policing in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Secretary of State and I are in regular discussion with the Chief Constable on all aspect of policing.
	The Policing Plan for 2007-08 includes a target for the police to demonstrate the extent to which the Neighbourhood Policing Model has been implemented by reporting formally to the Northern Ireland Policing Board twice yearly and by facilitating two NIPB member 'seeing is believing' visits to districts per year. Implementation of neighbourhood policing is to be taken forward via the CORE governance arrangements and as an integral part of the overall change management programme in DCUs.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will break down the figures referred to in the answer of 22 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 2-3W, on Departments: official hospitality, to show how much was spent on each function at which hospitality expenses were incurred.

Paul Goggins: I am unable to provide the level of detail requested as this could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	I can however provide a breakdown by location and this is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Expenditure  Income 
			 Stormont House 75,767 43,460 
			 Hillsborough Castle (1)260,697 76,513 
			 Other NIO hospitality 117,303 Nil 
			 (1) This figure includes £55,000 for two garden parties in 2007, one at Hillsborough Castle and one in Coleraine. 
		
	
	Expenditure incurred on hospitality by the NIO includes general living costs for Ministers and officials in lieu of hotel costs when in Northern Ireland; accommodation and hospitality for members of the royal family, visiting dignitaries and Heads of State; and hospitality for the representatives of political parties, business, voluntary, religious and community sectors in Northern Ireland attending events with Ministers. Customers using Hillsborough Castle and Stormont House are charged for the services they receive.

Discrimination: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) investigations,  (b) arrests,  (c) charges and  (d) successful prosecutions for stirring up hatred or arousing fear on the grounds of (i) religious belief, (ii) ethnicity, (iii) race, (iv) nationality and citizenship, (v) sexual orientation and (vi) disability were made in Northern Ireland in each year since the relevant legislation was enacted in 1987.

Paul Goggins: The table sets out information recorded in relation to these offences and clearance figures for the period 1998 to October 2007. Assessing information prior to 1998 would incur disproportionate costs.
	Hate crimes take many forms such as verbal abuse, physical assault, intimidation and damage to property. This question specifies categories for "stirring up hatred or arousing fear" therefore statistics supplied do not include incidents which have been committed against any person or property.
	
		
			   Recorded( 1)  Cleared( 1)  Motivation appears to be 
			 1998-99 0 0 — 
			 1999-2000 0 0 — 
			 2000-01 0 0 — 
			 2001-02 0 0 — 
			 2002-03 0 0 — 
			 2003-04 1 1 Racist, cleared by juvenile advice and warning 
			 2004-05 0 0 — 
			 2005-06 1 0 Sectarian 
			 2006-07 3 0 One sectarian and two racist 
			 1 April to 31 October 2007 0 0 — 
			 (1) Includes the following offences under the Public Order (NI) Order 1987: Incitement to hatred Distributing written material to incite hatred Possession of matter intended to stir up hatred/arouse fear  Source: Central Statistics Unit, PSNI

Economic Situation

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the performance of the Northern Ireland economy in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Administration.
	However the Government's assessment of the UK economy was set out in the pre-Budget report published on 9 October, which shows that the UK economy continues to perform well. The Northern Ireland economy has also enjoyed sustained economic growth and has the lowest unemployment rate of any region of the UK.

Irish language

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Government intend to take to fulfil their commitment in Annex B of the St. Andrew's Agreement to introduce an Irish Language Act reflecting on the experience of Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Prior to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly the Government released two consultation papers on Irish language legislation, the first on 13 December 2006 and the second, containing draft clauses for such legislation, on 13 March 2007. In doing so the Government honoured their commitment in Annex B of the St. Andrew's Agreement as far as possible. However upon the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007, responsibility for this matter passed, in the first instance, to the devolved Administration.
	The Northern Ireland Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure has indicated his intention to work with the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure to find a resolution to this matter and we await the outcome of that process.

Police: Manpower

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely effect of budgetary plans on future police office numbers in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Government have received from the NI Policing Board their assessment of the resource requirement for police officers in Northern Ireland. The Government remain committed to the proper resourcing of the PSNI in order to ensure that it is equipped to deliver effective policing both now and following the transfer of responsibility for policing and justice. The CSR07 settlement provides robust and sustainable funding for policing to 2010-11. My officials are working closely with PSNI and the Board on this matter.

Prostitution: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many brothels have been raided in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: I am unable to provide this information as to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

Sexual Offences: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of vice-related offences in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and how many of these have been (i) UK citizens, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) non-EU foreign nationals.

Paul Goggins: Information in relation to nationality is not held centrally and so it is not possible to calculate the number of EU and non-EU foreign nationals who were prosecuted and convicted of vice-related offences. It is only possible to give the total number of people prosecuted and subsequently convicted for vice-related offences. These are documented in the following table and are broken down by offence.
	Data cover the calendar years 2001 to 2005 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; therefore only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Number prosecuted and convicted for vice-related offences by offence 2001-05 
			   Brothel keeping  Prostitute-soliciting  Total 
			   Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted 
			 2001 2 1 1 1 3 2 
			 2002 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 2003 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2004 1 1 1 1 2 2 
			 2005 3 3 0 0 3 3

SCOTLAND

Departmental Flexible Working

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours (i) in the Department and (ii) the executive agencies for which the Department is responsible.

David Cairns: Staff in the Scotland Office are seconded from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice and the Office follows the policies of the parent Departments regarding flexible hours. The Office presently has six staff who have applied successfully to work flexible hours.

Departmental Ministers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he receives a ministerial salary in respect of his duties as Secretary of State for Scotland; and whether the same arrangements applied for each of his two immediate predecessors as Secretary of State.

David Cairns: Ministerial salaries are paid in accordance with the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975. Details of ministerial salaries are available at:
	http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/m06.pdf
	and in the House Library.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts were awarded by his Department to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department in each case.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999; since that date, no payments have been made to Opinion Leader Research.

Scottish Parliament: Elections

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to publish the Government's response to the Ron Gould report on the Scottish elections.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already responded positively to five recommendations in the Gould report and I have confirmed we will shortly launch a consultation exercise on the others that fall within his responsibilities. Once we have considered views from the consultation, we expect to publish a formal response to the report in the spring next year.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Daedalus Airfield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to ensure access for  (a) general aviation and  (b) the local community to Daedalus airfield; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Part of the site of the former HMS Daedalus at Lee-on-Solent, including the runways, was acquired from Defence Estates in March 2006 in order to protect the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) Search and Rescue helicopter facility. This land is currently managed and operated on a tenancy basis by the Hampshire Police Authority.
	The remainder of the site, including the land on which the local general aviation community is based, was purchased by the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA). Access to the runways at Lee-on-Solent from the SEEDA land has, I understand, been on a grace and favour basis.
	The recent decision to close the airfield to general aviation was taken, I am informed, by the Hampshire police as the operator of the aerodrome due to safety concerns and as such was not a matter for the Government. It would therefore be a matter for the Hampshire police to consider whether general aviation might safely be continued, and whether the local community can retain access to the runways. Safety is and, I assume, must remain the primary consideration for them.

British Transport Police: Training

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officers in the British Transport Police have received specialist training to assist them in tackling illegal immigration; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, E-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Bus Services: Concessions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will make it her policy to meet the actual costs of free off-peak bus travel within each local authority area;
	(2)  what representations she has received from local authorities on the costs of extending free off-peak bus travel next year.

Rosie Winterton: From April 2006, older and eligible disabled people have been guaranteed free off-peak local bus travel within their local authority area. The Government provided an extra £350 million in 2006-07 and a further £367.5 million in 2007-08, via the Formula Grant system, to fund the extra costs to local authorities. The Government are confident that this should be sufficient to cover the total additional costs to local authorities of this improvement in the statutory minimum requirement. Any discretionary local enhancements, such as peak bus travel, are funded from an authority's own resources.
	The Government are providing local authorities in England with an extra £212 million next year for the English national bus concession. This extra funding is based on generous assumptions about the probable cost impact of the new concession and we are confident this will be sufficient in aggregate.
	We have had a number of letters from local authorities about the costs of the national bus concession. The Department is currently consulting on the formula basis for distributing the £212 million by special grant; the consultation closes on 23 November. As of 13 November we have had 43 responses. Details of the responses will be published after the consultation closes.
	In addition, we will be providing local authorities with approximately £30 million for the issuing of the national pass.

Buses: Safety

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been commissioned by her Department and its agencies into road safety and the use of articulated buses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No research has been specifically commissioned by the Department for Transport or its agencies into the road safety and use of articulated buses.

Cycleways

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration her Department has given to  (a) increasing the number of cycle lanes and  (b) designing safe walking routes to schools in the proposed eco-towns.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport has been consulting with various non-government organisations with expertise in walking and cycling, such as Sustrans, to bring together best practice advice and information on sustainable travel options in the proposed eco-towns.
	We aim to issue guidance by the end of the year, which will highlight the importance of a user hierarchy that prioritises pedestrians and cyclists to make walking and cycling the modes of choice for all types of journeys.

Cycling: Accidents

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents there were involving cyclists who were cycling on pavements in  (a) 2000,  (b) 2003 and  (c) 2005.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There were 961, 778 and 856 reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one pedal cyclist on a pavement in  (a) 2000,  (b) 2003 and  (c) 2005 respectively.

Cycling: Penalties

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what penalties cyclists face if caught cycling on pavements.

Rosie Winterton: Cycling on the pavement is an offence under section 72 of the Highways Act 1835 as amended by section 85 (1) of the Local Government Act 1888.
	The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for the police. The maximum fine is £500 but the offence can, since 1999, also be dealt with by the issue of a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £30. This provides the police with a simple procedure for dealing with offenders. We encourage members of the public to give evidence of specific problem areas and of any dangerous behaviour by cyclists to the police. This can help ensure that the police target their resources most effectively.
	We support any action taken by the police to deter and reduce cycling offences.

Departmental Flexible Working

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours (i) in her Department and (ii) the executive agencies for which the Department is responsible.

Jim Fitzpatrick: While the Department does identify the working hours of its staff it does not keep central records that identify all working patterns. These are agreed and managed at a local level taking account of individual circumstances and the business need.

Departmental Interpreters

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many French speakers her Department employs.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Driving Under Influence: Accidents

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the contribution made by driving under the influence of illegal substances to the numbers of deaths and injuries on the roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No formal assessment is made because it is not possible for routine accident reports to record such information. However information on contributory factors to road accidents is now collected by police forces and reported annually. The use of legal or illegal drugs by drivers was, in the view of the reporting officer, considered a contributory factor in some 2 per cent. of fatal accidents in 2006.
	Research for the Department by TRL Ltd., published in 2000 "The incidence of drugs and alcohol in road accidents" showed that 18 per cent. of driver fatalities in the survey had traces of illegal drugs in their body, two-thirds of which was cannabis, the inactive element of which remains traceable long after impairment. The presence of drugs is not evidence of accident causation, though there may be an association.
	A 2004 European Commission study "Impaired motorists: methods of roadside testing and assessment for licensing" co-funded by member states, examined the prevalence of illegal drugs in drivers. The main UK element of the study estimated the prevalence of drugs in drivers in the study area which were at, or above, the confirmatory test cut-off concentrations proposed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The result varied from 4.10 per cent. of drivers for ecstasy or similar drugs alone, to 0.02 per cent. for opiates alone (not including codeine). Ecstasy alone and cannabis alone (3.14 per cent.) were, by far, the drugs with the highest prevalence.
	The summary of the results of the UK element of that study are at www.immortal.or.at/deliverables.php under report D-R4.2.

Finsbury Park Station

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had on proposals to transfer Finsbury Park station to Transport for London.

Tom Harris: None. There are currently no plans to transfer the operation of Finsbury Park station from First Capital Connect to Transport for London.

Government Car and Despatch Agency: Postal Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many items have been lost or misplaced by the Government Mail Service in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Lorries

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to publish Professor McKinnon's report on longer heavier vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The study by the Transport Research Laboratory and Heriot-Watt university, where Professor McKinnon is Director of the Logistics Research Centre, was expected to report by October; but given the challenging and complex nature of the project, the report has been slightly delayed. We are aiming to publish within the next three months.

Lorries: A34

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will ban heavy goods vehicles from the outside carriageway of the A34.

Tom Harris: There are currently no plans to ban heavy goods vehicles from the outside carriageway of the A34.
	The Highways Agency has introduced trials at three locations across the strategic road network for HGV overtaking restrictions but is not planning to introduce further trial areas until results from the initial M42 trial have been analysed.

Motor Vehicles: Licensing

David Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many registered vehicle owners appeared before a court for failing to comply with the statutory off-road notification declaration in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The exact number of people who appeared before a court for failure to declare a vehicle off the road are not recorded.

Motor Vehicles: Licensing

David Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many registered vehicle owners failed to comply with statutory off-road notification declarations in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of people identified as failing to comply with statutory off-road notification legislation and who had enforcement action taken against them(1) is shown in the table.
	(1) In the 2003-04 financial year enforcement did not pick up 100 per cent. of those who had failed to comply. Complete figures to answer the question are not available for that year. In all other years all people who were identified as failing to comply were the subject of enforcement action.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003-04 1,394,317 
			 2004-05 1,183,544 
			 2005-06 1,341,598 
			 2006-07 1,272,384

Motor Vehicles: Licensing

David Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles were declared off road under statutory off-road notification declarations in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2003-04 DVLA received 2.65 million statutory off-road notifications. In 2004-05 the figure was 3.66 million, in 2005-06 it was 4.19 million and in 2006-07 it was 4.20 million.

Ports: Security

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the implications for a ship calling at a port which does not meet the 2004 International Ships and Ports Facility Security Code.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Code requires that a ship's own Security Plan sets out the procedures to be followed when it is calling at a port facility that does not meet the Code. A ship may make provision for its own security or where appropriate a master of a ship may request a "Declaration of Security". This is a standard form that addresses the security requirements that are to be shared between a port facility and a ship and states the responsibility for each. The Code also requires ships to keep records of their last 10 ports of call prior to arrival in a destination, including details of how security was maintained at ports not meeting the Code. If the ship has at all times met the provisions of the Code there should be no significant implications for the ship.

Railways: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 43W, on railway stations: Milton Keynes, whether the increase in the number of long distance trains stopping per hour at Milton Keynes applies to both peak and off peak services.

Tom Harris: The increase in services calling at Milton Keynes takes place throughout the day at both peak and off peak times.

Railways: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many long distance trains due to stop at Milton Keynes under the proposed new timetable will only either drop off or pick up passengers during  (a) peak and  (b) off peak times.

Tom Harris: Heading north, one train per hour is currently designated as pick up only. Between 16.42 and 19.42 inclusive, it is proposed that this will apply to all long distance services. In the southbound direction, one train only per hour will be set down only across the course of the traffic day.

Speed Limits: County Durham

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport where  (a) existing and  (b) proposed 20 mph zones are located in County Durham; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (Amendment) Act Order 1999 (SI 1999/1608) removed the requirement for local authorities to obtain consent from the Secretary of State when introducing 20 mph zones and 20 mph speed limits on their roads. Therefore for further information, the hon. Gentleman should contact the local highway authority—in this case Durham county council—directly. Suggested contact:
	John Richardson
	Corporate Director—Environment
	Durham County Council
	County Hall
	Durham DH15UL

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Direct Mail

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to  (a) finalise and  (b) implement a preference service for people to opt-out of receiving unaddressed direct mail.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 14 November 2007
	The Direct Marketing Association is developing an opt-out service for unaddressed direct mail. It expects to launch the scheme by the end of the year.

Fishing Industry: EU Action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on possible changes to EU labour law exemptions for the fishing sector; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government will consider in detail any proposals for changes to EU labour law exemptions for the fishing sector. Any such proposals would need to be considered in the context of the provisions of two recent international conventions agreed in the International Labour Organisation, the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 and the Work in Fishing Convention 2007.

Fly-Tipping

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to reduce fly-tipping.

Joan Ruddock: Tackling fly-tipping and wider waste crime is a priority for the Government. The Government's Waste Strategy for England, published in May 2007, sets out a blueprint for increased recycling and reuse of waste, diverting waste from landfill and for preventing it in the first place. The strategy makes it clear that initiatives to boost waste prevention and recycling should be supported by fly-tipping strategies aimed at tackling the illegal dumping of waste.
	The strategy includes the Government's Illegal Waste Activity Action Plan which sets out what action is being taken and proposed in this area. This includes:
	(i) Reviewing legislation on the controls that are in place to deal with correct management and carriage of waste. The review aims to reduce levels of fly-tipping, make it easier for businesses to understand and comply with the regulations and make regulations easier for local authorities to use. Second consultation is planned for 2008.
	(ii) Developing legislation that will give local authorities and the Environment Agency the powers to stop, search and instantly seize vehicles being used to commit fly-tipping offences. Consultation is planned for 2008.
	(iii) Introducing mandatory Site Waste Management Plans for construction and demolition projects above a certain value. This is planned for completion in April 2008.
	(iv) Working to better understand how small businesses and householders deal with waste and the types of awareness raising campaigns that would most effectively reach these groups and change their behaviour. This work will be carried out by March 2008.
	(v) Funding the Environment Agency's targeted campaigns to disseminate good practice to businesses and raise awareness of good waste management practices.
	(vi) Delivering Flycapture Enforcement, a training programme aimed at local authority officers and their legal teams to increase knowledge of the relevant legislation and to develop skills in effective enforcement and prosecution of fly-tippers.
	(vii) Working with stakeholders to consider how the Flycapture database can be enhanced or improved to enable local authorities to better use data to implement fly-tipping interventions.

Fly-Tipping: Agriculture

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of fly-tipping on farmland; and what plans he has to require contractors to produce site waste management plans to prevent fly tipping.

Joan Ruddock: DEFRA does not hold data on the number of fly-tipping incidents, or cost of clear-up, of fly-tipping on private land, including farmland. However, a report conducted on behalf of the Environment Agency in 2005-06 estimated the cost of clearing fly-tipping from agricultural land to be around £47 million.
	We have recently consulted on proposals to make Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) a requirement for construction, demolition and excavation work above a certain size. Following the consultation and further research on the costs and benefits of producing and implementing SWMPs, it is proposed to set the threshold level for SWMPs at a project cost of £300,000.
	SWMPs will help ensure that all waste on construction sites is managed responsibly and in accordance with waste management controls. Plans will record or make reference to the waste carrier's registration and waste transfer notes to ensure an audit trail of all waste leaving sites to reduce the likelihood of it being fly-tipped. The construction project client will be required to produce the plan before work begins on site. Responsibility for updating and implementing it will then transfer to the principal contractor.
	Site Waste Management Plan Regulations are expected to come into force in April 2008 and will apply in England only.

Gangmasters Licensing Authority: Wales

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff the Gangmasters Licensing Authority employs to cover Wales.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Gangmasters Licensing Authority has 29 field officers throughout GB and NI. Field officers either check that licensed gangmasters are complying with their licence conditions or enforce the offences established by the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004. While no officers are permanently based in Wales, all field officers may be deployed to conduct operations in that country.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to encourage Departments and local authorities to publish their annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 15 November 2007
	 DEFRA currently publishes the annual emissions of carbon dioxide for local authority areas. In addition, following the introduction of a new local government performance framework in April 2008, local authorities will be required to report annually the reductions in the CO2 produced as a result of their own operations. The Sustainable Development Commission publishes information on CO2 emissions from central Government Departments in its Sustainable Development in Government Report. CO2 emissions comprise over 80 per cent. of greenhouse gas emissions.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average individual financial contribution was to the cost of works quoted for by Eaga approved contractors for the purpose of a Home Energy Efficiency Grant required of those to whom a grant has been offered in  (a) England,  (b) rural areas and  (c) urban areas in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 15 November 2007
	 From 1 June 2005 to 31 October 2007, the average individual financial contribution of all Warm Front applicants in England was £85.40. The financial contributions of those living in rural and urban areas, for the same time period, were £140.71 and £76.12 respectively.

Packaging: EU Law

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on best practice in the implementation of the EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste 94/62/EC.

Joan Ruddock: My officials meet regularly with their counterparts in other member states, as well as the European Commission, to discuss implementation of this directive.
	In May, the then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (David Miliband) wrote to EU Environment Commissioner Dimas calling for a review of aspects of the directive so that member states could take more effective action against clear cases of over packaging. The Commission has since indicated its intention to review the implementation and enforcement of these provisions over the coming months.
	I will continue to keep this matter under review and intend to discuss it with packaging industry representatives in early 2008.

Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on  (a) supporting and  (b) financing the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 14 November 2007
	 DEFRA supports the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) on behalf of the Government and the devolved Administrations by providing:
	a budget of £920,000 for this financial year to cover costs of the Commission and its Secretariat;
	a contribution of £170,000 over two years for the RCEP current study on "The environmental effects of novel materials and applications" because of its relevance to DEFRA's agenda on Sustainable Consumption and Production;
	a service for the appointment of Commissioners; and
	a service for Human Resources and Information Technology.
	Financing of the RCEP was addressed in a review of the RCEP which was published in July 2007. The review, conducted by independent consultants, concluded that there is continuing need for the RCEP but that it needs to modernise its way of working to improve its level of impact and effectiveness.
	DEFRA is working with other Government Departments, the devolved Administrations and the RCEP to formulate a Government response to the review recommendations which will include a position on RCEP future funding. As with any other advisory body we fund, we require RCEP to clearly demonstrate value for money.

Seas and Oceans: EU action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, COM (2007) 575 final, what his policy is on the proposal for a European network for maritime surveillance; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	We support the principle of improved co-operation between European Community member states' coastguards and appropriate agencies to achieve a higher degree of co-ordination of maritime surveillance.
	The Department for Transport will give constructive consideration to any proposals which the European Commission may bring forward which relate to the development of a surveillance system which would bring together existing monitoring and tracking systems.
	Where such systems relate to activities which are outside the scope of this Department, we will necessarily work together with the other Government Departments within whose scope those activities fall.

Seas and Oceans: EU action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what maritime surveillance work his Department is conducting with other  (a) EU member states and  (b) non-EU countries; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Transport employs the following means of maritime surveillance: aerial surveillance; Automatic Identification System (AIS); IMO-adopted ship reporting; radar; and satellite surveillance.
	These activities all involve common working with European Union countries (and Norway) and European institutions (notably the European Maritime Safety Agency).
	Common working in the Dover Strait and adjacent waters is particularly important. We undertake active surveillance on ships in the Dover Strait and adjacent waters in collaboration with the French Maritime Administration as part of the Channel Navigation Information Service, using a network of land-based radar scanners. This information is fused with other information derived from an IMO-adopted mandatory ship reporting scheme which covers the Dover Strait, and with electronic information derived from AIS.
	We are in the process of integrating our surveillance activity using AIS into the European Community's SafeSeaNet hub, and this process will be complete by the end of December 2008 at the latest.

Seas and Oceans: EU action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, COM(2007) 575 final, if he will make a statement on the proposed network of maritime clusters and the possible effect on UK interests.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	In England, a number of Regional Development Agencies have already established organisations in their own regions, bringing together maritime manufacturing interests, for example Marine South West, Marine South East and Midland Marine Alliance. The Government fully support these initiatives. We look forward to working with the European Commission to ensure that whatever proposals finally emerge, they will really add value to the current arrangements.

Seas and Oceans: EU action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, COM(2007) 575 final, if he will make a statement on the proposed review of EU labour law exemptions for the shipping and fishing sectors.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government note the Commission's intention to review exemptions from EU labour laws in the shipping and fishing sectors. We shall consider carefully the details of any proposals that emerge.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Pakistan

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the recent events in Pakistan on International Security Assistance Force military operations along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Des Browne: Currently, there are no indications that ISAF military operations in this area are being affected by events in Pakistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use is being made of the former US Kandahar Theatre Internment Facility located on Kandahar airbase by  (a) British forces,  (b) International Security Assistance Force forces and  (c) Afghan forces.

Des Browne: Our records indicate that UK forces have made no use of the US Theatre Internment Facility at Kandahar and nor would we have expected them to given the current facilities and processes we have in place for detention. Use of the US Theatre Internment Facility by Afghan forces or other nations is a matter for the nations concerned.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his assessment is of the security situation in Kabul;
	(2)  what his assessment is of the security situation in the Afghan provinces of  (a) Nimruz,  (b) Farah and  (c) Herat.

Des Browne: The security situation in Afghanistan is stable, if fragile in places. The Afghan national army and the international forces are helping to extend the authority of the Government of Afghanistan, although there remains a threat from suicide attacks and local ambushes.
	The Taliban have recently launched a series of attacks on district centres in the western provinces of Nimruz, Farah and Herat. ISAF and Government forces are reacting to this threat to ensure that security is maintained in these areas.
	Nevertheless, compared to many areas of eastern and southern Afghanistan these provinces experience lower levels of violence, the majority of which is the result of low-level criminality and clashes among local power brokers. Herat in particular has benefited from a sustained period of relative stability, reconstruction and growth.
	In Kabul, despite a number of recent high-profile suicide attacks, the situation remains broadly stable, with no significant difference in the number of security incidents occurring from January to October, compared with the same period in 2006.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for which countries the mandate for participation in  (a) ISAF and  (b) Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan will expire in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK ISAF mandate is due to expire in March 2009. The mandate renewal dates for other ISAF/OEF members are matters for the individual countries concerned.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many locally engaged staff are employed by his Department in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: holding answer 15 November 2007
	 Records indicate that as of 14 November 2007, 397 locally engaged civilians were employed by the Ministry of Defence in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required and  (b) actual full-time strength is of the (i) Territorial Army, (ii) Royal Marines Reserve, (iii) Royal Naval Reserve and (iv) Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

Bob Ainsworth: The trained strength and trained requirement of the Territorial Army, Royal Marines Reserve, Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Auxiliary Air Force can be found at the following link to the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts, Section 1: Resources, Table 27, page 169.
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports/MODAnnualReports0607/
	Copies of the report are also available in the Library of the House.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many field hospitals are available for deployment in Afghanistan;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the training scheme for field hospital workers in Iraq and Afghanistan;
	(3)  how many people are in training to work in field hospitals in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan;
	(4)  how many field hospitals are available for deployment in Iraq;
	(5)  how many field hospitals are deployed in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq;
	(6)  how many field hospitals were available for deployment in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq in January;
	(7)  how many field hospitals were deployed in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq in January.

Derek Twigg: Fully-formed field hospitals are not maintained in the UK available for deployment, but are individually made up and deployed in accordance with formal operational planning assumptions, with the personnel rotating on a regular basis.
	In Afghanistan, the UK has one field hospital (Role 2 (Enhanced)) at Camp Bastion, which has been in location since June 2006. The UK is also providing a contribution of 12 personnel to the Multinational Role 3 field hospital at Kandahar, for which Canada is the lead nation.
	In Iraq, the UK has one Role 2 (Enhanced) facility at the Combined Operating Base field hospital in Basra. This has been in its current location since the end of December 2006. It had been situated at the Shaibah Logistic Base since March 2003.
	Field hospitals will be staffed by fully-trained medical personnel, both Regular and Reserve members of the Defence Medical Services (DMS). Many Regular DMS staff will work alongside civilian colleagues in NHS hospitals, maintaining their clinical skills and qualifications in an active, up-to-date environment, allowing them to deploy quickly as part of operational field hospitals when required. Additionally, the vast majority of the Reservist medical personnel deployed to operations are NHS employees. The training they gain in their NHS jobs is indispensable for ensuring the quality of the frontline care they help to provide.
	Since all personnel are fully trained medically, they do not require medical training before deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan, but they do undertake specific pre-deployment training. The training includes a range of theatre-specific briefings and training, including weapon training, live firing and fitness. In addition, specific medical training for field hospital personnel deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan is conducted. This includes a pre-hospital exercise for the Reserve forces deployed, and six days of medical training. This covers both directed medical training and collective hospital training in a field hospital simulator. Each collective hospital exercise is validated and a report produced. The medical training is widely acknowledged to be excellent.
	Each field hospital provides a deployed hospital care capability that includes emergency medicine, primary surgery, intensive care unit, medium and low dependency nursing care beds and diagnostic support (including CT Scanner), as well as a mission-tailored variety of clinical specialities for deployed medical care.
	The field hospitals are an integral part of the Joint Medical Group in both Theatres. The Iraq hospital is currently manned to 106, and in Afghanistan to 90. Field hospital personnel usually deploy for a six-month tour of duty. There are exceptions within the clinical staff, and consultant grade personnel and other selected clinicians complete between six to 12 weeks. Some nursing staff and other allied health care professions also complete a 12-week tour of duty.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the level of pay is of the five lowest-paid ranks of troops now serving in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq; and what percentage each is of the UK national average wage.

Des Browne: The average pay levels for the five lowest paid ranks in the services and the percentage against the national average are:
	
		
			  Rank  Weekly earnings( 1 ) (£)  Percentage of UK national average 
			 Private 480 105 
			 Corporal 554 121 
			 Lance Corporal 676 148 
			 Sergeant 738 161 
			 Staff Sergeant 820 179 
			 (1 )Includes allowances paid to those personnel on operations.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) guideline and  (b) actual voluntary outflow rates are for each pinch point trade.

Bob Ainsworth: The services do not set official guidelines on voluntary outflow (VO) rates. They assess the acceptable range of voluntary outflow in terms of the ability to provide sustainable manpower structures and, in particular, the maximum capacity of training pipelines that supply replacements for those who leave. Actual outflows are monitored against these assumption and constraints and action is taken to respond, for example, by the use of a Financial Retention Incentive.
	Current voluntary outflow rates for pinch point trades are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Pinch Point Trade  VO Rate  (percentage) 
			  Royal Navy  (as at 1 July 2007)  
			 Able Bodied Seaman 6.5 
			 Merlin Pilots 4.0 
			 Merlin Observers 1.7 
			 Merlin Aircrew 5.0 
			 Leading Hand Warfare 4.4 
			 Able Bodied Diver 2.4 
			 Royal Marines Other Ranks 6.3 
			 Leading Hand Air Engineering Technician 2.0 
			 Petty Officer Mine Warfare 5.4 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner) 4.3 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner) 6.5 
			 Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks 3.3 
			 Nuclear Watchkeeper 2.7 
			   
			  Army (a s at 12 February 2007 )  
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Vehicle Mechanic 1 5.8 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Recovery Mechanic 5.7 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Armourer 5.1 
			 Royal Engineers Clerk of Works 1.8 
			 Army Medical Service—General Surgeon 0.0 
			 Royal Engineers Mechanical Engineer Fitter 8.2 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Ammunition Technician 4.2 
			 Royal Logistic Corps—Postal and Courier Operator 5.9 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Movement Controller 2.9 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps—Radiographer 10.4 
			 Royal Engineers Military Engineer Geographic 5.8 
			 Intelligence Operational Military Intelligence 5.0 
			 Royal Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal 2 3.8 
			 Royal SIGNALS Information Systems Engineer 3.7 
			 Royal Engineers Command, Control and Communications Systems 9.5 
			 Army Medical Service—General Medical Practitioner 5.8 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Chef 2.5 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps—Operation Department Practitioner 3.6 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Petroleum Operator 6.3 
			 Army Medical Service—General Duties Nurse Soldier 10.3 
			 Royal Artillery—Operator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 10.9 
			 Army Medical Service—Nurse Officer 8.5 
			 Army Medical Service—A&E Nurse Officer 0.0 
			 Army Medical Service—Anaesthetist 0.0 
			 Army Medical Service—Radiologist 0.0 
			 Army Medical Service—Orthopaedic Surgeon 0.0 
			 Army Medical Service—Intensive Therapy Unit Nurse Officer 0.0 
			   
			  Royal Air Force  (a s at 1 May 2007 )  
			 Medical 2.3 
			 Operational Support (Intelligence) 2.1 
			 Operational Support (RAF Regiment) 2.7 
			 Operational Support (Provost/Security) 5.1 
			 Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service 2.3 
			 Weapons Support (Air Load Master) 0.6 
			 Weapons Support (Linguist) 0.0 
			 Air Traffic Control 2.3 
			 Flight Operations Manager/Flight Operations Assistant—Sergeant 4.8 
			 Firefighter 10.6 
			 Gunner 5.3 
			 Movements Operations/Controller 3.4 
			 Motor Transport Technician 2.5 
			 RAF Police 4.2 
			 Staff Nurse (RON) A&E 6.4

Armed Forces: Housing

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the financial allocation was to the Defence housing budget for the  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2008-09.

Derek Twigg: The financial allocation for Defence Estate's Housing Directorate (formerly the Defence Housing Executive), which covers the costs of the provision of houses to Service families in Great Britain net of contributions by personnel, but excluding overheads, is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 (1)240 
			 2007-08 (2)261 
			 (1 )Actual expenditure. (2 )Forecast. 
		
	
	The budget for 2008-09 is still being finalised as part of the Department's current planning.

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of married quarters were of each grade one to four in the last year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces gave on 12 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 49-50W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).

Armed Forces: Officers

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) established and  (b) current trained strength of officers in the Army is, broken down by arm.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the trained officer strength and Regular Army Liability (RAL) as at 1 March 2007 by arm service. The difference between liability and trained strength is attributable to: Operational requirements; the impact of extended courses; and long-term absence, for example due to illness or pregnancy.
	
		
			  Current UKTAP officer manning state by arm/service as at 1 March 2007 
			  Arm/service  RAL 06  Strength 
			 Total 13,250 13,840 
			 STAFF 720 830 
			 HCAV/RAC 840 850 
			 RA 1,010 1,040 
			 RE 1,200 1,220 
			 R SIGNALS 930 1,010 
			 INFANTRY 2,490 2,730 
			 AAC 490 520 
			 RAChD 150 140 
			 RLC 1,580 1,640 
			 RAMC 950 1,040 
			 REME 770 840 
			 AGC (PRO) 210 220 
			 AGC (SPS) 440 480 
			 AGO (ETS) 310 350 
			 AGC (ALS) 120 110 
			 RAVC 30 30 
			 SASC 30 30 
			 RADC 160 140 
			 INT CORPS 320 290 
			 APTC 50 50 
			 GENERAL LIST — — 
			 QARANC 410 260 
			 CA Mus 30 40 
			 — = denotes zero or rounded to zero.  Notes: 1. Figures are shown as at 1 March 2007 as reliable Army strength statistics to this level are not yet available for 1 April 2007 onwards. This is due to the ongoing validation of Army data following the introduction of the new Personnel Administration System. 2. Figures are for UK regular forces trained officers and therefore excludes Gurkhas, Full-Time Reserve Service personnel, the Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. 3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 to prevent disclosure of sensitive personal data. Due to the rounding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts.

Armed Forces: Postal Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the announcement on free post for the families of troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan of 12 November 2007 is expected to cost his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost of providing a free parcel service throughout the year for members of the armed forces serving overseas.

Bob Ainsworth: The cost of the freepost service announced on 12 November to be met by the Government will be met by the Treasury Reserve. It is not possible to state at this time how much this will be. The cost will be dependent on mail volumes which are difficult to predict. We will be in a position to make an informed estimate once the service has run for six months and an assessment of a 'steady state' volume can be made for planning purposes.
	Estimates of the costs at this stage are between £1 million and £4 million per year, excluding the Royal Mail contribution. The cost of the service increases exponentially once mail volume passes a certain level as additional air charter and personnel costs start to be factored in.

Armed Forces: Postal Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long the free post for personnel on operations announced on 12 November 2007 will extend; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: There is no planned end date for the freepost scheme announced on 12 November. The scheme will operate for as long as our personnel are serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan theatres.

Buildings

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many buildings, not including military bases or barracks, his Department occupies, broken down by region.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Charities: Fees and Charges

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department charged the charity organisers for the RAF Brize Norton 2005 Children in Need concert.

Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Cluster Munitions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 752W, on cluster munitions, what progress he has made in prohibiting the use, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions since the UK signed the Oslo Declaration on Cluster Munitions in February 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: Since declaring our support to the Oslo Process in February 2007 and following our subsequent withdrawal from service of two types of 'dumb' cluster munitions in March of this year, we have been at the forefront of international discussions that have resulted in a Negotiating Mandate within the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), with the ultimate aim of delivering a new legally binding instrument to address the humanitarian impact of certain cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the closure of the Defence Export Services Organisation was approved in advance by Lord Drayson.

Bob Ainsworth: The decision to transfer the responsibilities of the Defence Export Services Organisation to UK Trade and Investment was taken by the Prime Minister. The Defence Secretary was consulted.

Departmental Catering

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the staff canteen at the headquarters building is subsidised.

Derek Twigg: The canteen in the Ministry of Defence main building is not directly subsidised; however, the contractor providing the catering service is not charged for either the space or utilities.

Departmental Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which functions organised by his Department in the last 12 months hospitality costs were incurred; and how much was incurred at each function.

Derek Twigg: Information on official entertainment by function is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Expenditure on official entertainment is subject to departmental regulation and compliance with the principles of propriety set out in Managing Public Money and in the Treasury's handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.

Departmental Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are followed in his Department on signing off policies with significant financial implications for his Department, with particular reference to the role of the finance director.

Bob Ainsworth: The procedures that are followed and factors that are taken into account when introducing new policies are set out in Managing Public Money, box 4.7. The main duties and responsibilities of departmental finance directors are set out in Annex 4.1 of Managing Public Money.
	Copies of Managing Public Money have been placed in the Library of the House and are available on line at:
	http://search.treasury.gov.uk/search?p=Q&ts=treasury &mainresult=mt_mainresult_yes&w=managing+ public+money

Departmental Industrial Health and Safety

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on health and safety training for non-industrial civilian staff in 2006-07.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians in his Department were injured as a result of work related incidents in each year since 1997; what types of injury were incurred; what the circumstances were of each injury; how many days were missed due to each injury; and how much compensation was received in each case.

Derek Twigg: Centrally held records show that the number of Ministry of Defence civilians injured as a result of work related incidents in each year since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of civilians injured as a result of work related incidents 
			 1997 2,210 
			 1998 4,832 
			 1999 4,397 
			 2000 3,766 
			 2001 3,100 
			 2002 2,224 
			 2003 1,827 
			 2004 1,469 
			 2005 1,422 
			 2006 1,871 
		
	
	The most frequently reported types of injury are due to handling, lifting, slips and trips.
	Information about the circumstances of individual injuries and on how many days were missed due to each injury does not go back as far as 1997. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the total amount of compensation paid to civilians employed by the Department is contained in the Ministry of Defence's Claims Annual Reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Manpower

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the full-time equivalent headcount in his Department is; what the forecast full-time equivalent headcount for his Department is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Historical manpower statistics back to 1998 are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are available online at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/.
	Forecast levels for MOD civilian personnel on 1 April 2008 were published in the Government's expenditure plans 2007-08. These (together with a separate figure for Royal Fleet Auxiliary [RFA] Personnel) are set out as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Level 1 civilian(1) 72,000 
			 RFA (included in Level 1 civilian figures above) 2,300 
			 Locally engaged civilians (LEC) non-operational 11,000 
			 LEC operational 2,400 
			 Trading funds 10,100 
			 Total civilian 95,500 
			 (1 )Level 1 includes permanent and casual civilian personnel and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries but excludes trading fund employers 
		
	
	The requirement for civilian manpower beyond 2008 is kept under constant review and has not yet been set formally.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department on  (a) temporary and  (b) part-time staff in the last financial year.

Derek Twigg: In financial year 2006-07, the total pay costs (pay, employers' national insurance and pension contributions where appropriate) for UK based temporary staff were some £13 million and for part-time civilian staff were some £80 million. A further £43 million was spent on agency staff.
	These figures exclude Trading Fund employees and locally engaged civilians. Details of other non-pay related expenditure incurred in respect of part-time and temporary staff is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on mobile telephone  (a) handsets and  (b) calls for departmental advisers in 2006-07.

Derek Twigg: The total cost of mobile telephone handsets and calls for departmental advisers in 2006-07 was £741.
	It is not possible to break this figure down between the cost of handsets and calls as this information is not held in the format requested.

Departmental Property

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department on renovation and refurbishment of its properties in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Capital expenditure on major refurbishment projects is not readily distinguishable from that on new build projects.
	Information on estate expenditure is, however, contained in the departmental annual report and accounts, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Staff

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants in his Department  (a) transferred to other Government Departments and  (b) left the civil service in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 205-07W.

Departmental Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish his Department's autumn performance report.

Des Browne: As in previous years, we expect to publish the MOD Autumn Performance Report before the Christmas recess.

Departmental Stationery

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on  (a) stationery and  (b) office supplies in each year since 2003-04;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on  (a) stationery and  (b) office supplies in each year since 2003-04.

Derek Twigg: The information is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Stationery  Office supplies 
			 2003-04 23.232 5.279 
			 2004-05 23.655 4.3 
			 2005-06 23.513 5.927 
			 2006-07 21.779 6.107 
			 2007-08 (up to 31 October 2007) 11.311 2.951 
		
	
	These figures exclude VAT.

Departmental Written Questions

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason he has refused to make it his policy when citing earlier written replies relevant to an hon. Member's written question, to attach hard copies of those earlier replies provided that they were previously given in reply to other hon. Members.

Derek Twigg: This information is readily accessible to hon. Members, right hon. Members and their researchers in the  Official Report. In view of this, it would not be a good use of MOD resources to attach hard copies of the earlier replies.

EU Progress Catalogue 2008

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the EU Progress Catalogue 2008 to be finished.

Des Browne: The EU Progress Catalogue has been finalised and is due to be presented for approval at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 19 November 2007.

EU Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the joint paper by Germany, Portugal and Slovenia on revising the EU's rapid response force.

Des Browne: There is no EU rapid response force. A copy of the tri-presidency (Germany, Portugal and Slovenia) joint paper on the further development of EU's military crisis response capabilities has been placed in the Library. It should be noted that this paper was offered by the three member states concerned to partners as food for thought. It proposed a revision of the EU's Military Rapid Response concept and discussion continues between member states on the scope for such a review.

Guinea-Bissau: EU Defence Policy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the status is of the proposed European Security and Defence Policy mission to Guinea Bissau;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on a European Security and Defence Policy mission to Guinea Bissau.

Des Browne: There have not yet been discussions at ministerial level within the EU of a possible European Security and Defence Policy mission to Guinea-Bissau. There have, however, been preliminary discussions at official level, based on the report of a recent joint Council/Commission fact-finding mission. No decisions have yet been taken.

Ilois: Resettlement

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to offering Chagos Islanders employment within the UK military attachment on Diego Garcia.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK military does not employ any civilian workers on Diego Garcia.

Iraq Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many studies his Department has  (a) started and  (b) completed into the consequences of the Iraq war for his Department and lessons learnt; and if he will place copies in the Library.

Des Browne: The Ministry of Defence has conducted five studies into the ongoing operation in Iraq. Of these, "Operations in Iraq: First Reflections" published in July 2003; and "Operations in Iraq: Lessons for the Future" published in December 2003; are already available in the Library. The Directorate of Operational Capability has to date produced three volumes of its Lessons Report on Operation TELIC. I am withholding these reports as their release would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Iraq: Armed Forces

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops he expects to be assigned roles in  (a) training and  (b) mentoring Iraqi forces following the drawdown of forces in Basra in spring 2008.

Bob Ainsworth: In spring 2008, security responsibility in Basra will have transferred to the Iraqis and our primary focus will be on mentoring and training. The process of refining our more detailed plans is currently ongoing and for this reason we are unable to provide a breakdown in numbers.

Iraq: Civilians

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi civilians who have worked for the British Government in Iraq will be eligible for the assistance package he announced in his written ministerial statement on 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 30WS, on Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: We estimate some 280 Iraqi civilians currently employed and some 400-500 formerly employed by the British Government (Ministry of Defence, Foreign Office and Department for International Development) may be eligible for assistance. In addition, there are some 320 staff currently employed who may become eligible in the future.

Iraq: Military Equipment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British personnel have roles in  (a) training and  (b) mentoring Iraqi forces.

Bob Ainsworth: A battlegroup of approximately 600 based on the 1st Battalion Irish Guards are dedicated to delivering the training, mentoring and monitoring of the Iraqi security forces in Basra and in Baghdad. A small number of naval personnel are also based at Umm Qasr mentoring the Iraqi Navy.
	Other elements of the British forces based in Southern Iraq carry out training and mentoring to different elements of the Iraqi security forces, where it is considered that their expertise is most appropriate for the task.

Surface-to-air Missiles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what surface-to-air missile defence assets are in use by British forces in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: All UK aircraft operating in conditions where they are in range of surface-to-air missiles are equipped with appropriate defensive aid suites.
	I am withholding further information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Private Military Security Companies

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures govern the access of private military security companies employed by the Government for British armed forces medical resources and services in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Des Browne: In common with other MOD contractors, the employees and sub-contractors' employees of private military security companies are provided, free of charge, medical treatment and emergency dental treatment equivalent to that provided to military personnel whilst deployed.
	Joint Service Publication 567 lays down the policy enabling the use of civilian contractors in an operational area. DEFCON 697 sets out the medical treatment liability to be incorporated into contracts. I am arranging for copies of both documents to be placed in the Library of the House.

Telephone Allowance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the telephone allowance is in minutes per week for civilian staff posted to  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: All MOD civil servants deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan receive the same 30 minute free telephone call per week entitlement as service personnel on operational duty.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many joint strike fighters will be operationally deployable by 2015;
	(2)  how many joint strike fighters he estimates will be in service by 2015.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 3 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1854W.

Marines: Taunton

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to relocate 40 Commando from Norton Manor Barracks in Taunton constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no plans to relocate 40 Commando Royal Marines from Norton Manor Camp.

Military Bases: Closures

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military bases will be closed over the Christmas period; and how many were closed for Christmas 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: No regular military bases were completely closed over the Christmas period last year and none will completely close this year. Support to current operations and security of bases remain priority tasks and a core of staff will remain on duty over the period to fulfil these tasks.

Military Bases: Finance

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the financial position of each  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force and  (c) Royal Navy base is.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	MOD's top level budgets (TLBs) do not uniformly set separate budgets for military bases within their area of responsibility. Some may hold a proportion of their budgets at TLB level with other costs incurred at a local level. The most consistent level of budgetary visibility is at TLB level. Details of each TLB's expenditure is published annually in MOD's Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Navy: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the percentage of gapped posts was recorded for a ship at sea in the last 12 months; and what the percentage was in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 129W.

Nuclear Weapons

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings have taken place between UK and US officials on the research and development of new nuclear weapons, with particular reference to the reliable replacement warhead.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Davies) on 12 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2074W. This explained that there is no programme to develop a new UK nuclear warhead but referred to the work currently being undertaken to inform decisions, likely to be taken in the next Parliament, on whether and how we may need to refurbish or replace our current warhead. Some of this work is being undertaken with the United States under the 1958 UK-US Agreement for Co-operation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defence purposes and includes reference to the proposed US Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW). The UK remains committed to the principle that any future warhead developments are undertaken on a national basis. The RRW remains a US-only programme.

Remembrance Day

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans exist to amend guidelines on the participation of serving members of the armed forces in acts of remembrance at the Cenotaph.

Derek Twigg: There are no guidelines regarding the participation of serving members of the armed forces in acts of remembrance specifically at the Cenotaph. The Army's Headquarters London District and the Royal British Legion are represented at meetings chaired by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to discuss detailed arrangements for the Remembrance Sunday service and march-past at the Cenotaph, including armed forces participation.
	The general guidance in Queen's Regulations with respect to the Day of National Remembrance is that
	"Establishments and units are to conform generally to such arrangements as may be made by local authorities for the celebration of Remembrance Day services."

Remembrance Day

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Royal British Legion on the participation of senior members of the armed forces in acts of remembrance.

Derek Twigg: The Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with the Royal British Legion on this question.
	Throughout the year, senior members of the armed forces participate in commemorative events, across the world, some of which may involve discussions between the Department and the Royal British Legion about support, including armed forces participation; this includes for example the recent event to mark the dedication of the armed forces memorial at Alrewas in Staffordshire.
	Each November, when the nation remembers the sacrifices of all those who served in HM armed forces and died in the service of their country, senior members of the armed forces are present at services of remembrance.
	The Army's Headquarters London District also takes part in meetings chaired by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, at which the Royal British Legion are represented, to discuss detailed arrangements for the Remembrance Sunday service and march-past at the Cenotaph, including armed forces participation.

Remembrance Day

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons soldiers recuperating at Headley Court were denied permission to take part in acts of remembrance on 11 November 2007.

Derek Twigg: Responsibility for the organisation of the ceremony at the Cenotaph rests with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and, for participation in the march-past, with the Royal British Legion (TRBL).
	In the week before Remembrance Sunday, DCMS received an approach from TRBL, via the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, for up to six wounded service personnel and carers to view the ceremony at the Cenotaph. DCMS and TRBL made provision accordingly within a designated disabled viewing area outside the Treasury building; ushers were on hand to provide assistance if required and a disabled toilet was located nearby. On the day, two patients from Headley Court attended the Cenotaph service.
	So far as I can establish, neither DCMS nor the Ministry of Defence was consulted about excluding applications from injured service personnel to attend the ceremony or to participate in the march-past.

Reserve Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) inflow and  (b) voluntary outflow of personnel was from the (i) Territorial Army, (ii) Royal Marines Reserve, (iii) Royal Naval Reserve and (iv) Royal Auxiliary Air Force in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: It is not possible to provide Territorial Army figures by outflow reason. The following table shows total intake and outflow for Territorial personnel during the period 1 January 2006 to 28 February 2007.
	
		
			  Inflow and outflow of the Territorial Army by calendar year 
			  Calendar year  Inflow  Outflow 
			 2006 8,560 9,920 
			 1 January-28 February 2007 1,020 1,700 
			  Notes: 1. The data exclude full time reserve service (FTRS), non-regular permanent staff (NRPS) and mobilised TA but includes the officer training corps (OTC). 2. The data have been rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid systematic bias. 3. Figures are for both officers and soldiers. 4. Inflow figures include all inflow e.g. intake from civil life and intake from other parts of the armed forces, but does not include the inflow of personnel returning from mobilisation. 5. Outflow figures exclude those personnel who became mobilised. 6. Due to ongoing data validation following the introduction of the new Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) System, there is no TA information available since 1 March 2007. 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide Royal Naval Reserve or Royal Marine Reserve figures by outflow reason. The following table shows total intake and outflow for the Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Marines Reserve.
	
		
			   Inflow  Outflow 
			  Royal Marine Reserve   
			 April 2007-October 2007 190 80 
			
			  Royal Naval Reserve   
			 October 2006-October 2007 140 240 
			  Note: The data have been rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid systematic bias. 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide Royal Auxiliary Air Force figures by outflow reason. The following table shows total attestations and discharges in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force for the period 1 April 2006-30 September 2007.
	
		
			  Financial year  Inflow  Outflow 
			 2006-07 320 280 
			 April 2007-September 2007 170 150 
			  Notes: 1. The data include part time volunteer reserves (PTVR) only. 2. Inflow figures include all inflow e.g. intake from civil life and transfers from other units within the armed forces. 3. The data have been rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid systematic bias.

Rogue States

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his definition of the term rogue state as used in his statement on Ballistic Missile Defence of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 72WS is; whether the term differs from the term countries of concern; when the decision was taken to begin using the term rogue state in relation to UK involvement in the US Ballistic Missile Defence programme; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The terms "rogue state" and "country of concern" both refer to states that operate outside of or near to the boundaries defined by international agreements and accepted norms of behaviour.

Service Complaints Commissioner

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what knowledge or experience of the armed forces the new Service Complaints Commissioner has.

Bob Ainsworth: The Service Complaints Commissioner, Dr. Susan Atkins, does not have any direct knowledge or experience of the armed forces but she does have a wealth of experience in a wide range of areas of relevance to the post of Commissioner.
	The Services will undoubtedly benefit from her expertise and independent advice. As its first Chief Executive, she set up the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2003 and was responsible for the effective management and day-to-day running of the organisation. She has held a number of positions specialising in equality and tackling discrimination, including Deputy Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission, Director of the Women and Equality Unit with the Cabinet Office and Departmental Equal Opportunities Officer for the Home Office. She has a wealth of experience of working in human resources, policy and operational roles and with a range of different organisations, particularly in the criminal justice sector.
	Dr. Atkins will have a comprehensive induction and orientation prior to assuming her duties in January 2008 when it is intended that the new Service complaints process will come into effect.

Sierra Leone: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 11 June 2007, on Sierra Leone: peacekeeping operations, what progress has been made on reconciling casualty data for operations in  (a) Sierra Leone and  (b) the Balkans since May 1997.

Derek Twigg: Work on reconciling casualty data for operations in Sierra Leone and the Balkans is continuing. I will write to the hon. Member when the work is complete and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what operational roles are allocated to the attack submarine fleet; and how many boats must be deployed to fulfil them.

Bob Ainsworth: The roles of attack submarines include strikes against land targets using Tomahawk missiles; anti-submarine and anti-surface unit warfare; insertion and recovery of special forces; surveillance; and reconnaissance. I cannot comment in detail on the operational tasking of attack submarines or the number deployed at any one time, as this would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of the armed forces.
	There are currently nine boats available to undertake these tasks. As regards the number available in the future, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 983W.

Territorial Army: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the role is of each unit of the  (a) Territorial Army and  (b) cadet forces in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: There are two Territorial Army units based in Hertfordshire: A detachment of E (Essex and Hertfordshire) Company, 3(rd) Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment in the infantry role based in Hertford; and Evacuation Squadron, 254 (City of Cambridge) General Support Medical Regiment in the medical support role based in Hitchin.
	The role of the Army Cadet Force is to: provide progressive cadet training to foster confidence, self reliance, initiative, loyalty and a sense of service to other people; encourage the development of personal powers of practical leadership and the ability to work successfully as a member of a team; stimulate an interest in the Army, its achievements, skills and values; and advise and prepare those considering a career in the Regular or Reserve Forces. There are 24 Army Cadet Force detachments in Hertfordshire.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Bankruptcy: Council Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many individual bankruptcy petitions were received by the official receivers where council tax arrears were mentioned as a significant reason in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The information requested is not held in a readily available format and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Bankruptcy: Students

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many undergraduate students in England declared themselves bankrupt in each year since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: The information requested is not available from records held centrally by the Insolvency Service.

Certification Officer: Complaints

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many complaints the Certification Officer received in each of the last five years; how many were upheld in whole or in part; and what enforcement action was taken as a result.

Patrick McFadden: The following table shows the total number of decisions made by the Certification Officer in each of the last five reporting years in response to the complaints he received. The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 provides for the Certification Officer to issue declarations in relation to those complaints where there has been a breach of union statute or rule, and he may issue orders to remedy those breaches. The table indicates the number of declarations and orders he made in each year.
	
		
			   Decisions  Declarations  Orders 
			 2006-07 90 13 1 
			 2005-06 42 7 3 
			 2004-05 38 2 1 
			 2003-04 26 5 2 
			 2002-03 37 8 4

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether any of his Department's advisers have declared a conflict of interest; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Patrick McFadden: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers". Copies of the "Model Contract" are available in the Libraries of the House.

Enterprise Act 2002: Insolvency

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the insolvency provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Insolvency Service is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the Enterprise Act 2002 insolvency provisions, overseen by an evaluation group of independent stakeholders.
	The evaluation includes both quantitative and qualitative data collected from various sources over a four-year period, including five pieces of independent academic research and internal analyses of Insolvency Service data. Benchmark information was also obtained regarding the operation and effect of the pre-existing legislation.
	Full details of the evaluation are set out in documents available on the Insolvency Service website (www.insolvency.gov.uk).
	The final evaluation reports on both the individual and corporate insolvency provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 are due to be published by the end of 2007.

Fossil Fuels

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the size is of the UK's strategic reserves of  (a) petroleum and  (b) gas.

Malcolm Wicks: EU member states are required by Directive 2006/67/EC (a codification of previous legislation dating from 1968 and 1998) to hold oil stocks equal to 90 days' average daily national consumption during the preceding calendar year. As a crude oil producer, the UK receives a derogation of 25 per cent. on its obligation and is required only to hold stocks equivalent to 67.5 days. The UK also has a stocking obligation to the International Energy Agency, although this is currently lower than the EU obligation and can be covered by the same stocks.
	Latest figures for September 2007 show that the UK held oil stocks of 12.6 million tonnes, equivalent to 76 days of consumption. Other than military stocks that are excluded from strategic stockholding, all UK oil stocks are held by industry.
	There are no similar such EU directives relating to gas and consequently no compulsory stocks for gas.

Fuel Poverty

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) households and  (b) vulnerable households in fuel poverty in England in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Wicks: An estimate of the number of households in fuel poverty can be found in Chapter 2 of "The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy; 4th Annual Progress Report 2006" available online at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file29688.pdf.
	
		
			  Number of households in fuel poverty in England, 1996 to 2004 
			   1996  1998  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Total fuel poor 5.1 (5.5) 3.4 (4.0) 1.7 (2.3) 1.4 (2.0) 1.2 (1.5) 1.2 (1.4) 
			 Vulnerable 4.0 (4.3) 2.8 (3.2) 1.4 (1.9) 1.2 (1.6) 1.0 (1.2) 1.0 (1.1) 
			 Non-vulnerable 1.1 (1.2) 0.6 (0.8) 0.2 (0.4) 0.2 (0.4) 0.2 (0.3) 0.3 (0.3) 
			  Note:  Bracketed figures in millions are based on levels using the basic income definition

Fuel Poverty

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who live in fuel poverty.

Malcolm Wicks: The "Detailed Breakdown of Fuel Poverty in England in 2004; Version 1, April 2004", available online at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file29687.pdf) provides the following breakdown based on household composition.
	
		
			   Percentage households in group  Number households in group  ( Thousand )   
			  Household composition —main analysis variable  Not fuel poor  Fuel poor  Not fuel poor  Fuel poor  Total number of households ( Thousand )  Percentage total fuel poor in group 
			 Couple, no dependent child(ren), aged 60 or over 96 4 3,223 134 3,356 10.8 
			 One person aged 60 or over 84.9 15.1 2,530 450 2,980 36.4 
			 Combined 90.8 9.2 5,753 584 6,336 47.2

Fuel Poverty: Winter Fuel Payments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who were lifted out of fuel poverty by the winter fuel allowance in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: We estimate that winter fuel payments took 100,000 households out of fuel poverty in 2003 and 2004. This data is available in "The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy; 4(th) Annual Progress Report 2006" (available online at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file29688.pdf). They were introduced in 1997. The effect on fuel poverty in 2001 is not available but is likely to be of similar magnitude as 2003 and 2004 given the level of payment was similar.

Heating: Carbon Emissions

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the Greener Futures Initiative and the future of the electric heating industry in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: BERR continues to have regular discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the 'Building a Greener Future: policy statement', and the implications it will have for wider energy policy, both at ministerial and official level. These have primarily focused on the coverage and definition of zero carbon homes, the role of clean energy technologies in delivering the zero carbon homes commitment, the impacts on the competitive energy market and the need to maintain consumer protection. I am also a member of the Zero Carbon Homes taskforce, established last year to identify the barriers to implementation of the 2016 zero carbon target and put in place measures to address these. I took part in the meeting of the taskforce on 26 October alongside the Minister for Housing.
	We have not however had any direct discussions with CLG on the future of the electric heat industry.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many grants have been made through the Domestic Low Carbon Buildings Programme; and what proportion of valid applications this represented.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 15 November 2007
	To 9 November 2007, 7,793 applications for support have been received and 6,593 offers of support have been made (85 per cent. of all applications).
	Of these offers 3,407 grants have been made, representing 52 per cent. of all offers and 2,072 have been withdrawn by the applicant or have expired representing 31 per cent. of all offers. In addition some 26 of the 6,593 valid applications have been rejected at the claim stage as a result of not meeting the terms and conditions of the programme. The remainder (1,088, 17 per cent.) have not yet applied for payment of grant.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the implications of the Comprehensive Spending Review are for funding of  (a) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and  (b) the decommissioning of nuclear power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The Comprehensive Spending Review provides the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority with funding to deliver a full programme of nuclear decommissioning and clean up in line with its strategy and business plans.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the decommissioning costs for Magnox power stations if decommissioning starts  (a) now,  (b) in 2008 and  (c) in 2009.

Malcolm Wicks: None. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is responsible for estimating the costs of decommissioning at its sites and for delivering safe, effective and efficient clean up and decommissioning. Estimates of the cost of decommissioning its sites, including the NDA's Magnox nuclear power stations are derived from Life Time Plans (cradle to grave estimates of the cost, scope, and schedule of nuclear decommissioning and clean up programmes in respect of the site in question). Details are available on the NDA website at www.nda.gov.uk

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which decommissioning contracts and works at Winfrith have been the subject of a gateway review by the Office of Government Commerce; and which proposals in the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency's three-year business plan will be the subject of future Gateway reviews.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 12 November 2007
	There have been two Gateway O reviews by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) carried out at the Winfrith site. Gateway O reviews are strategic assessments of a programme and it is recommended that they are repeated every two years. The Winfrith site restoration programme and the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor decommissioning have been subject to reviews.
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's three-year business plan has identified a requirement for OGC Gateway reviews of the competitions for parent body organisation contracts for the management of the low level waste repository and the Sellafield site.

Nuclear Power Stations: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with Energy Solutions Ltd on the future funding of  (a) the Southern Bundle of former Magnox sites and  (b) Berkeley power station.

Malcolm Wicks: My Department has had no discussions with Energy Solutions Ltd about future finding of the Southern Bundle of former Magnox sites and Berkeley, nor has the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Nuclear Power Stations: Redundancies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the costs were of  (a) redundancy and  (b) severance packages negotiated for former Magnox power station staff in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The costs of redundancy and severance packages for former Magnox staff which have been published in the Magnox Annual Report and Accounts are as follows:
	
		
			  As at 31 March each year  £ million 
			 1998 12 
			 1999 25 
			 2000 14 
			 2001 8 
			 2002 3 
			 2003 7 
			 2004 4 
			 2005 32 
			 2006 9 
			 2007 25 
		
	
	Further information is available on the NDA's website at: www.nda.gov.uk

Nuclear Power Stations: Security

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many security breaches were reported at nuclear power facilities in the United Kingdom in each year since 1997; where each breach occurred; and what the circumstances were of each breach.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested could be collated only at disproportionate cost. However, since 2001, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security, the security regulator, has produced an annual report entitled "The state of security in the civil nuclear industry and the effectiveness of security regulation". General information on security breaches and reports made under the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 can be found within these reports, which can be accessed at
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/ocns/publications.htm

Opinion Leader Research

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many contracts were awarded by his Department and its predecessor to Opinion Leader research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department for each such project.

Malcolm Wicks: Total payments by the Department to Opinion Leader research for the financial years 2003-04 to 2006-07 have been as follows:
	
		
			   Payments (£) 
			 2003-04 41,768.26 
			 2004-05 52,702.23 
			 2005-06 115,711.28 
			 2006-07 106,719.37 
			 Total 316,901.14 
		
	
	These figures represent the total cost of all projects. It is not the Department's normal practice to publish the financial details of individual contracts, on the grounds that contracts with these companies are agreed under an implied duty of confidence, and include information that the companies would not want to make public or share with competitors. Information on payments made under contracts issued by the Department is only held centrally from 2003 onwards, and could not be produced for earlier periods without disproportionate cost.
	The individual projects carried out by Opinion Leader research and funded by the Department are as follows:
	A project commissioned by the Small Business Council to explore small and medium sized enterprises' attitude to regulation. This project was put out to tender in September 2003 and the contract awarded in October 2003. A report 'Evaluation of Government Employment Regulations and Their Impact on Small Business' was published in March 2004.
	An assessment of the effectiveness of Government research spending carried out for the former Office of Science and Innovation in 2004 and 2005.
	An evaluation, carried out between the autumn of 2006 and June 2007, of the Department's debt advice project, which employed debt advisers giving face-to-face debt advice to the financially excluded. Their report, "Evaluation of the Financial Inclusion Fund Face-to-Face Debt Advice Project" was published on the Department's website in September 2007.
	An evaluation of two vulnerable worker pilot projects, set up as part of the Government's 'Success at Work' strategy. This project was put out to tender on 29 September 2006, and the contract awarded on 7 November 2006. The project is ongoing with the contract scheduled to be completed in July 2008.
	In addition to the sums above and in the current financial year, Opinion Leader were appointed by the Department, acting through the Central Office of Information, to conduct deliberative research with the public, as one part of the Government's consultation on the future of nuclear power. The project was put out to tender on 11 April 2007 and the contract awarded on 30 April 2007.
	In this case, I have already told the House that the total value of the contract is £772,626. Of this amount £655,452 was paid to Opinion Leader for activities associated with the design, delivery and reporting for the public deliberative events, and the remaining £117,174 has been paid to cover the costs of Dialogue by Design, a specialist sub-contractor has managed the online consultation website on behalf of the Department. The final costs of the web-based activity have yet to be determined as they are dependent on the volume of materials received. Opinion Leader's report will be published as part of our response to the consultation.

Post Offices

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) confidentiality agreement which sub-postmasters have been asked to sign in relation to the network change programme and  (b) the programme's key messages for customers document.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 15 November 2007
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: Closures

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had on post office closures in Northern Ireland.

Patrick McFadden: None. Post Office Ltd. (POL) is responsible for implementing the post office transformation programme at a local level. They are developing a rolling programme of some 50 local consultations on detailed area plans, based on groups of parliamentary constituencies.
	The first area plans went out to local consultation on 2 October this year and will continue to be rolled out at regular intervals until next July, with the whole programme scheduled to take around 15 months to complete. The area plans for Northern Ireland are scheduled to go to public consultation in April 2008. The Government do not have a role in proposals or decisions for individual post offices. The final decisions on which post offices will close will be taken by POL in light of the responses received to the area consultations.

Post Offices: Closures

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many submissions have been received by the six-week consultation over post office closures in  (a) the Kent Plan Area,  (b) the East Midlands Plan Area and  (c) the East Yorkshire with Bassetlaw and North Lincolnshire Plan Area; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: Disciplinary Proceedings

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post office staff have had disciplinary action taken against them for  (a) breaches of confidentiality and  (b) failing to deliver network change programme key messages; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 15 November 2007
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Trade Unions: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Certification Officer has produced on the use of (i) direct debit mandates, (ii) standing order mandates and (iii) check off payments from salaries for trade union subscriptions.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has produced guidance on the law relating to the payment of trade union subscriptions direct from pay (a practice known as "check off") in a publication entitled "Payment of union subscriptions through the check off". The Department has not produced guidance on the payment of subscriptions by direct debit mandates and standing order mandates. The Certification Officer has not produced any guidance in these areas.

Trade Unions: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which trade unions have political funds according to the records held by the Certification Officer; and in what year the fund was established in each case.

Patrick McFadden: According to the records of the Certification Officer, 28 trade unions have political funds. Their names and the years in which their current political funds were established are given in the following table. The Certification Officer's records begin in 1976.
	
		
			  Name of union  Date political fund established 
			 Aspect 2005 
			 Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen Pre 1976 
			 Association of Revenue and Customs 1989 
			 Bakers Food and Allied Workers' Union Pre 1976 
			 Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union 1991 
			 Communication Workers Union 1995 
			 Community 2004 
			 Connect; The Union for Professionals in Communications 1983 
			 Educational Institute for Scotland 1988 
			 Fire Brigades Union Pre 1976 
			 GMB 1989 
			 Musicians Union Pre 1976 
			 National Association of Colliery Deputies and Shotfirers Pre 1976 
			 National Association of Schoolmasters and the Union of Woman Teachers 1989 
			 National Union of Mineworkers Pre 1976 
			 National Union of Mineworkers North Western Cheshire and Cumbria Miners Association 1997 
			 National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers 1990 
			 POA 1995 
			 Prospect 2003 
			 Public and Commercial Services Union 2006 
			 Transport Salaried Staffs Association Pre 1976 
			 Union of Construction Allied Trades and Technicians Pre 1976 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 1988 
			 Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers Pre 1976 
			 UNISON: The Public Services Union 1993 
			 Unite the Union 2007 
			 Unity Pre 1976 
			 University and College Union 2006

Trade Unions: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations he and his predecessors in the Department for Trade and Industry have specified may act as independent scrutineers for trade union political fund ballots.

Patrick McFadden: The following categories of individual have been empowered to act as independent scrutineers for trade union political fond ballots:
	 (a) individuals who have in force a practising certificate issued by the Law Society of England and Wales or the Law Society of Scotland, and
	 (b) individuals who are qualified to be an auditor of a trade union by virtue of section 34(1) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
	The Trade Union Ballots and Elections (Independent Scrutineer Qualifications) Order 1993 sets conditions which disqualify some individuals in these categories from acting as scrutineers.
	The following organisations are empowered to act as independent scrutineers for trade union political fond ballots:
	Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Limited;
	Election.com Limited;
	Popularis Limited; and
	Involvement and Participation Association.
	The following organisations, who were once empowered to act as independent scrutineers for trade union political fund ballots, are no longer so empowered:
	The Electoral Reform Society of Great Britain and Ireland Limited;
	The Industrial Society; and
	Unity Security Balloting Services Limited.

Wind Power

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the minimum distance from the nearest dwelling at which wind turbines should be located.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has not set out any guidelines on minimum distance. The distance between occupied dwellings and a wind farm will depend on the particulars of each case and issues such as expected noise levels, visual impact and safety requirements will all need to be factored into determining whether a particular proposal is acceptable.

Wind Power: Bats

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the threat to bats imposed by onshore wind turbines; what assessment he has made of the merits of warning devices being fitted to turbine blades to protect bats from being killed or injured; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 November 2007
	Under the Town and Country Planning Act, and for consents under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 regime or the Transport and Works Act 1992, wind farm developers are required to consider all environmental aspects of wind energy projects and produce an Environmental Impact Assessment.
	In addition, the subject of bat collision with wind turbines in onshore wind farms is one that my officials are monitoring. There is some preliminary UK and Scandinavian information which suggests that bats may avoid areas around radar installations. After reviewing these studies, the Government have commissioned research to assess the effectiveness of radar as a potential means of mitigation to prevent bat collisions with wind turbines. This work is being undertaken by the University of Aberdeen and is expected to be completed in early 2008.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average timescale was for a successful application for  (a) exceptional leave to enter the UK and  (b) resettlement in the UK through the UK's Gateway refugee entitlement programme in the last period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency has not recently operated any exceptional leave scheme, so it is not possible to provide figures for the average time scale for a successful application. The scheme to assist Iraqi locally engaged staff announced by the Foreign Secretary in his written ministerial statement of 30 October will not confer exceptional leave to enter the UK. They will be considered for entry clearance and, if successful, granted indefinite leave to remain.
	The time scale between a case being referred to the UK for resettlement under the UK's Gateway Protection Programme and the time a refugee arrives varies significantly. The timescale is activated at the point which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees submits a referral to the UK and is considered completed once the caseload of refugees arrive to the receiving local authority. The time frames for referrals under the Gateway programme for the last financial year were between three and eight months.

Asylum

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many individuals' cases have been resolved under the Asylum Case Resolution Programme; and how many of those cases resulted in  (a) deportation,  (b) grant of indefinite leave to remain,  (c) grant of British citizenship and  (d) another outcome;
	(2)  how many paper and electronic records have been processed under the Asylum Case Resolution Programme.

Liam Byrne: Lin Homer, the Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency will be writing to the Home Affairs Committee shortly with an update.

Asylum Seekers: Poverty

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of destitute asylum seekers; for what period those asylum seekers have been destitute; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: There is no need for asylum seekers to be destitute. Under section 95 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999, asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute can apply for support until the decision on their claim has been made and any subsequent appeal has been determined.

Asylum: Applications

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of applications for indefinite leave to remain made by applicants who were  (a) eligible to be in the UK and  (b) not eligible to be in the UK were (i) not granted and (ii) granted within (A) 13 weeks, (B) six months, (C) a year, (D) 18 months, (E) two years, (F) two and a half years, (G) three years and (H) longer in each year since 2001.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The information requested could only be obtained in the format required by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
	However, data for grants of settlement and refusals between 2001 and 2006 are contained in the Home Office Command Papers "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom" for 2004, 2005 and 2006. A copy of the report is in the House of Commons Library.
	In the 2004 paper, table 2.1 on page 20 refers to annual refusal figures combining both extensions of leave and settlement.
	In the 2005 and 2006 papers, tables 4.2 on pages 62 and 60 respectively give data for grants of settlement and percentage refusals.
	The explanatory notes pertaining to settlement should be read in conjunction with these tables.

Asylum: Applications

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of applications for asylum made by applicants who were  (a) eligible to be in the UK and  (b) not eligible to be in the UK were (i) not granted and (ii) granted within (A) 13 weeks, (B) six months, (C) a year, (D) 18 months, (E) two years, (F) two and a half years, (G) three years and (H) longer in each year since 2001.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Deportation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the effectiveness of the Clan Ebor scheme will be measured.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency intends to review the scheme at the end of December 2007. The review will focus on the number of families that have departed from the UK voluntarily and the reasons why a voluntary departure has not occurred. It will also assess the effectiveness of the scheme in securing up to date information about the circumstances of the families, attendance at case conferences and compliance with reporting restrictions.

Asylum: Deportation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what language  (a) the Clan Ebor questionnaires will be distributed and  (b) the case conferences element of the Clan Ebor scheme will be conducted.

Liam Byrne: The questionnaires are written in English. Case conferences are conducted in the first language of the applicants with the help of an official interpreter.

Asylum: Deportation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the Clan Ebor scheme began.

Liam Byrne: The Clan Ebor project began on 22 June 2007.

Asylum: Deportation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how participants were selected for the Clan Ebor scheme in West Yorkshire; what criteria were used in this selection process; and what geographical area the scheme will cover.

Liam Byrne: Families were selected for inclusion for the project which had had their asylum claim refused, had exhausted all of their appeal rights and did not have any applications for leave outstanding or barriers that would prevent their lawful removal from the United Kingdom. A sample of families from a wide cross-section of nationalities from within the local authority areas of Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield have been included.

Asylum: Deportation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps will be taken against those within the Clan Ebor scheme who do not return the questionnaire in the allotted two-week period.

Liam Byrne: Whether or not a questionnaire is returned, participants will be asked to attend a case conference.

Asylum: Deportation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice will be available for those selected to take part in the Clan Ebor scheme.

Liam Byrne: Participants are advised to research and pursue their voluntary departure from the United Kingdom with the help available from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The families are provided with literature and contact details of the International Organisation for Migration in their own language and it is explained to them that the IOM may be able to provide assistance with travel arrangements, funding and reintegration. As a direct result of this project, IOM has arranged a drop-in centre twice a month in Leeds city centre and families are briefed on how to access this facility. The risk to the family of enforced removal action being taken is also explained.

Asylum: Deportation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether families with children under the age of five years have been included in the Clan Ebor scheme.

Liam Byrne: Families with children under the age of five are included in the Clan Ebor project.

Asylum: Legal Aid

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support her Department gives to voluntary organisations who provide refused asylum seekers with emergency legal advice and other services; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency provides grant funding to five voluntary sector organisations for the provision of a network of 25 One Stop Services across the United Kingdom. These One Stop Services provide general support and advice to current and recently refused asylum claimants about the range of statutory and non-statutory support services available. The Border and Immigration Agency funding is not intended to be used to provide legal advice about the asylum process but the voluntary sector agencies will be in a position to signpost to the nearest qualified provider.

British Nationality

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of applications for British citizenship were  (a) not granted and  (b) granted within (i) 13 weeks, (ii) six months, (iii) a year, (iv) 18 months, (v) two years, (vi) two and a half years, (vii) three years and (viii) longer in each year since 2001.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The information requested could be obtained only in the format required by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
	However, statistics on applications and grants of British citizenship in the United Kingdom were published in the Home Office statistical bulletin 'Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom, 2006'. This publication is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	The following table is reproduced from the bulletin and gives the number of applications received, granted and refused from 2001 to 2006.
	
		
			  Applications received and decided 2001 to 2006 
			   Applications received  Grants  Refusals  Percentage refusals 
			 2001 109,005 90,295 9,530 10 
			 2002 115,500 120,125 8,455 7 
			 2003 147,345 125,535 10,480 8 
			 2004 132,630 140,705 13,650 9 
			 2005 219,115 161,700 16,645 9 
			 2006 149,035 154,095 15,360 9 
			  Source:  Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom, 2006"

Departmental Mobile Phone Bills

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was of the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration's mobile telephone bill for the last month for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The cost to the public purse of the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration's mobile telephone bill for the last month for which figures are available was £4.

Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which buildings occupied by her Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: No central data are held of the number of buildings occupied by my Department, which are or are not considered to be fully accessible to disabled people.
	Where there are access difficulties for disabled people, my Department makes appropriate reasonable adjustments to its arrangements for the recruitment and employment of staff, and the services and functions it delivers to its users, in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of student visa holders from  (a) India,  (b) Sri Lanka,  (c) Pakistan and  (d) South Africa applied to extend their visa at the end of their initial period in the latest 12 months for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not recorded in the format required.
	Student leave is granted for the duration of the course, therefore can vary greatly. It is not possible to cross reference the extension data for 2006 against the initial leave to enter data for any one previous year therefore it is not possible to provide data in terms of a percentage.
	However, data of student visa holders who extended their leave to remain during 2006 can be found in the Home Office Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2006" pages 56 and 58 table 4.1. A copy of which is in the House Library.

Human Trafficking: Databases

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to adopt the Interpol global database system that allows border checks to be made on documents to tackle human trafficking.

Liam Byrne: On 25 July 2007, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would link to the Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Documents Database (SLTD) at the border.

Human Trafficking: EU Action

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what incompatibilities there are between the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention on Action on Trafficking in Human Beings and domestic immigration legislation.

Liam Byrne: We judge that domestic immigration legislation is already largely compliant with the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Victims of trafficking can already be identified, supported and where appropriate may be issued with limited or indefinite leave to remain in the UK under the existing legislative framework on immigration. We are currently reviewing whether changes to legislation, policies and procedures are necessary, including as part of the ongoing police-led anti-trafficking operation Pentameter 2, to ensure the United Kingdom is fully compliant with the requirements of the convention. In approaching this task, we will ensure that our arrangements to protect victims of crime, bring those who exploit them to justice, and avoid incentives to misuse the immigration system.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were under an obligation to report to a reporting centre as at  (a) 30 June and  (b) 30 September 2007.

Liam Byrne: Records indicate that as at 30 June 2007 and 30 September 2007 there were 3,434 and 3,701 asylum applicants respectively under obligation to report to a reporting centre. This data is based on management information and is not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional as it is subject to change.
	The information does not include asylum seekers reporting at police stations or failed asylum seekers who are subject to reporting restrictions. It refers to asylum seekers who have made an application for asylum and have not yet had an outcome.

Immigration Controls

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on UK embarkation controls; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: There have been no recent representations on UK embarkation controls.

Immigration: Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average operational cost per bed space was in each establishment in the immigration detention estate as at 30 June 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The average direct budget cost for 2007-08 for operating each establishment in the Immigration Removal Estate is £119 per bed space per day.

M56: Speed Limits

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many speeding tickets have been issued by Cheshire Constabulary in the 40 mph zone on the M56 between Frodsham and Runcorn since the introduction of the zone.

Vernon Coaker: Information is not collected centrally at the level of detail requested.
	Information on the number of fixed penalties and convictions for speeding offences is available at police force level only and does not relate to specific roads or speed limits.

Migration Advisory Committee

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which groups, public bodies and organisations have submitted reports to the Migration Advisory Committee.

Liam Byrne: No groups, public bodies and organisations have submitted reports to the Migration Advisory Committee. The MAC will be fully operational by April 2008. On 11 September I announced that Professor David Metcalf has been appointed as the chair of new Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).

Migration Advisory Committee

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the submissions to the Migration Advisory Committee.

Liam Byrne: The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is an independent non-statutory non-departmental public body (NDPB). It will produce reports for Government on where in the economy migration can sensibly fill skills gaps. These reports will be made public. It will be for the MAC to decide whether and when it would be appropriate to publish any submissions to the MAC.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) budget and  (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled.

Liam Byrne: Non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Home Office, the budget of each, their remit of each and the chairman of each body, the chairman's remuneration, which includes their bonuses and expenses is published as at 30 March of each year in Public Bodies. Public Bodies can be found on the Home Office external website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/public-appointments-06-07

Police: Finance

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of budgetary plans on future police officer numbers, broken down by Government region; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Government funding allocations to each police authority will be announced shortly. It is for the police authority to set the budget and with the Chief Constable to decide on police officer and police staff numbers.

Police: Fringe Benefits

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) pension and  (b) other benefits packages are offered to new police constables joining the  (a) Metropolitan police and  (b) Hertfordshire constabulary.

Tony McNulty: All new entrants to police forces in these two and all other Home Department forces in England and Wales are able to join the Police Pension Scheme 2006, which provides a maximum pension of half final salary and a maximum lump sum of four times annual pension after 35 years service. The scheme also provides other pensions such as those for adult survivors and children.
	Police officer pay and benefits are determined nationally and set out in determinations of the Secretary of State made under the Police Regulations 2003. In addition to these national arrangements, newly appointed police constables in the Metropolitan Police Service receive London weighting of £2,055, a London allowance of £4,338 and free travel within a 70 mile radius of London. Newly appointed police constables to the Hertfordshire constabulary receive a South East England allowance of £2,000 a year in addition to the national arrangements.

Police: Muslim Organisation Groups

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines have been issued to police forces on criteria to be applied to formal contacts between the police and Muslim organisations and groups; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: There have been no guidelines issued to police forces on criteria to be applied to formal contacts between the police and Muslim organisations and groups. However, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has issued Practice Advice (Professionalising the Business of Neighbourhood Policing) which emphasises the need for neighbourhood police officers to engage with a cross-section of the community to ensure that the views of minority groups are represented. NPIA is supporting the development of the National Muslim Police Association, an organisation we welcome as an important bridge between the police service and the Muslim community. We have also piloted community engagement training in a number of police basic command units across England and Wales to provide neighbourhood officers with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve this.

Sexual Offences: Registration

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the exchange of sex offenders registers between the UK and the US.

Vernon Coaker: We made initial contact with US Department of Justice officials during a visit, earlier this year, which formed part of the Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders. A meeting was conducted specifically to discuss the possibility of developing an arrangement for the exchange of appropriate data on convicted sex offenders between authorities in the UK and USA. This meeting was followed by a letter, at official level, from the Home Office to the Ministry of Justice seeking to progress work in this area. We intend, shortly, to pursue the matter at ministerial level as part of a broader effort to seek closer co-operation in tackling sex offenders.

Special Constables

Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many special constables are attached to the Lincolnshire constabulary;
	(2)  how many special constables are attached to police constabularies in England and Wales.

Tony McNulty: The most recent information available shows that, as at 31 March 2007, there were 171 special constables in Lincolnshire and 14,021 special constables in England and Wales.

Terrorism: Detainees

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suspects detained under counter-terrorism legislation have been released without charge because of expiry of the 28 days limit on such detention.

Tony McNulty: The maximum period that an individual can be held is 28 days. This came into force on 25 July 2006 as part of the Terrorism Act 2006. Six individuals have been held for the maximum 27 to 28 day period. Of these three individuals were charged and three individuals were released without charge.

Terrorism: Detainees

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the people detained on suspicion of terrorist offences since July 2006 were charged  (a) before 10 days,  (b) between 11 and 20 days,  (c) between 21 and 26 days,  (d) on the 27(th) day and  (e) on the 28(th) day.

Tony McNulty: The 14 day detention period came into effect on 20 January 2004 and the maximum period of detention pre-charge was extended to 28 days with effect from 25 July 2006. The following table, compiled from police records, provides details, to date, of the numbers of individuals charged or released and held from between 14-15 days and through to 27-28 days. We do not collate statistics for the timescales requested.
	
		
			  P re-charge detention to date 
			  Period of detention (days)  Number of persons held  Charged  Released w/o charge 
			 14-15 1 1 — 
			 18-19 1 1 — 
			 19-20 3 3 — 
			 27-28 6 3 3

Workers Registration Scheme

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the most recent Accession Monitoring Report, what estimate she makes of the number of dependants who have entered the UK with applicants to the Worker Registration Scheme.

Liam Byrne: Information concerning the actual number of dependants accompanying A8 nationals is published quarterly in The Accession Monitoring Report. This report currently gives data from 1 May 2004 to 30 June 2007. The information you require is published in table 5 of the report, at the following link:
	http://www.ind. homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/accession_ monitoring_report
	The next Accession Monitoring Report (AMR) will be published on 20 November 2007.
	A copy of the AMR will be placed in the House Libraries.

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice: Freemasonry

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether it remains the practice to require new applicants to become magistrates and members of the judiciary to declare membership of the Freemasons; and what declarations were made by each current office holder.

Maria Eagle: With effect from 1998 anyone appointed for the first time by the Lord Chancellor to judicial office, including the magistracy, has been asked, as a condition of appointment, whether they belong to the Freemasons. They are further asked that they notify the Lord Chancellor if they subsequently join them. These requirements remain in force.
	Judicial office holders appointed before 1998 were not required to make a declaration. However, they were invited to make a voluntary declaration and the majority of them did so.
	The latest available figures indicate that 5.4 per cent. of judicial office holders and 6.4 per cent. of magistrates have declared that they are freemasons.

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed penalties

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many penalty notices for disorder were issued in each year since their inception; and what estimate he has made of the average administrative cost of issuing such an order.

Maria Eagle: In 2004 there were 63,639 issued for all offences in England and Wales, rising to 146,481 in 2005. Information for 2006 will be available at the end of November 2007.
	The Home Office consultation paper "Strengthening powers to tackle anti-social behaviour" published on 14 November 2006 estimated the cost of a PND, including compliance, enforcement and appeal costs, to be £91 per PND issued.

Courts: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the establishment of a new courthouse at Colchester.

Maria Eagle: Work to finalise the outline business case for the Essex magistrates courts scheme, of which Colchester is a part, is being progressed as one of the priorities within the court building programme. This includes the evaluation of procurement routes to ensure the selected route represents best value for money for the taxpayer. The outline business case is due to be completed early in 2008 and submitted for approval to proceed by the end of the financial year.

Crime: Victims

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance has been issued to staff in his Department and its public agencies with regard to the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power and Annex.

Maria Eagle: We have not issued guidance relating to this 1985 UN Declaration. However, the Government remain firmly committed to rebalancing the Criminal Justice System in favour of victims and witnesses, as is compliant with the spirit of the Declaration. We have introduced extensive reforms, including a Victims Surcharge to divert money from offenders to victims, given a significant increase in resources to Victim Support, established witness care units to provide tailored support during trial, and introduced a code of practice to give victims statutory rights for the first time. Furthermore our criminal injuries compensation scheme is the most generous within the European Union, paying out some £200 million a year to around 30,000 victims of violent crime.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to review or reform the work of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Maria Eagle: The Government are still considering the future of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority following the public consultation launched by the Green Paper "Rebuilding Lives: supporting victims of crime", and will announce their intention in due course.

Democracy: Young People

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total cost to the public purse was of the speed dating style youth conference held on 9 October.

Bridget Prentice: The total cost paid out so far, for "Your Vote Counts", the Ministry of Justice's youth conference held on 9 October is £27,465. We are awaiting a few invoices from schools and youth groups for their travel costs, 143 young people (113 from secondary schools and further education establishments and 30 from primary schools) and over 100 adults from schools, youth groups and youth organisations attended the event.

Departmental Flexible Working

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours (i) in the Department and (ii) the executive agencies for which the Department is responsible;
	(2)  how many Privy Council staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours in the Privy Council.

Maria Eagle: All parts of the Ministry of Justice offer flexible working to all staff where operational and business constraints permit as a tool to improve work life balance. The Ministry of Justice offers a wide range of flexible working arrangements—compressed working, flexible start/finish times, term-time working and part-time working. The number of applications for flexible working is not collated centrally so it is not possible to give a figure for the number of staff who work flexibly without incurring disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Jamaica

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government are taking to further negotiations with the Jamaican Government to facilitate the return of Jamaican nationals convicted in the UK to serve their sentence in Jamaica; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The United Kingdom and Jamaica signed a limited prisoner transfer agreement on 26 June 2007. This is the first prisoner transfer agreement to be signed by the Jamaican Government and it requires changes to Jamaican law before the agreement can enter into force.

Domestic Violence: Homicide

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) men and  (b) women were killed by their current or former partners in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	Information relating to homicides recorded during the period 2001-02 to 2005-06 was published in table 1.05 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence, 2005/2006" (HOSB 02/07) and is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Homicides currently recorded( 1)  in England and Wales where victim is partner/ex-partner of principal suspect, 2001-02 to 2005-06( 2) 
			   Victim gender 
			  Year offence initially recorded as homicide( 3)  Male  Female 
			 2001-02 29 117 
			 2002-03 30 106 
			 2003-04 26 95 
			 2004-05 39 105 
			 2005-06 23 83 
			 (1) As at 9 October 2006; figures are revised as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Data for 2006-07 are scheduled to be published in late January 2008. (3) Homicide offences are shown according to the year in which the police initially recorded the offence as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made.  Source: Table 1.05 of HOSB 02/07

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many drivers were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted for the offence of driving under the influence of drugs in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Available but incomplete information on the number of proceedings and findings of guilt for the offence, from 2004 to 2005 (latest available) is provided in the table. The incompleteness is due to some data received by my Department not being able to distinguish between drink and drugs when driving under the influence.
	2006 data will be available next year.
	
		
			  Proceedings at magistrates courts and findings of guilt at all courts for the offence of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs , England and Wales, 2003-05 
			  Number of offences 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			  Offence type  Proceedings  Findings of guilt  Proceedings  Findings of guilt  Proceedings  Findings of guilt 
			 Unfit to drive through drugs (impairment) (1) n/a n/a 319 203 554 363 
			 In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drugs (impairment) (2) n/a n/a 22 15 47 29 
			 n/a = data not available (1) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 4 (1) (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 4 (2)  Notes: 1. Some data providers have been unable to distinguish between drink and drugs when driving under the influence. Such data have been excluded from the table. 2. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. 3. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces and the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Fixed Penalties

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many penalty charge notices have been issued in each region of the UK in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many penalty charge notices have been issued by each local authority in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many penalty charge notices have been issued by each local authority in each of the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: Under the Road Traffic Act 1991, Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) powers allow local authorities to take over responsibility for enforcing breaches of parking regulations from the police. Available information on penalty charge notices issued by result and individual local authority was first published in the annual Home Office publication "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales 2002, Supplementary tables"—tables 22(a) to 22(b). Copies of the annual publications from 2002 to 2005 (latest available) are available in the Libraries of the House.
	Within England and Wales, penalty charge notices data are submitted to the Ministry of Justice on a calendar year basis from local authorities and do not contain a month by month breakdown.
	Information on matters arising in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Office respectively.

General Election 2005: Ballot Papers

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many ballot papers were rejected at the 2005 General Election.

Bridget Prentice: At the 2005 UK parliamentary election, the total number of ballot papers that were either rejected at verification or not counted at the count was 182786.
	A breakdown of the number of rejected and spoilt ballots can be found on the Electoral Commission's website:
	www.electoralcommission.gov.uk.

Judges: Public Appointments

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what process was followed in the appointment of  (a) Crown,  (b) county, (c) high and  (d) Appeal Court judges over the last five years; whether consideration is given to a candidate's stated political views; how many candidates were rejected; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Since April 2006, the independent Judicial Appointments Commission has had the responsibility for appointments and has set out the qualities and abilities it believes are necessary for judicial office. These are: intellectual capacity, personal qualities, the ability to understand and treat fairly, authority and communication skills and efficiency. The Commission determines its own selection processes.
	Prior to the transfer of responsibility, the process for selection for appointments varied for different appointments and evolved over time. However, immediately prior to the creation of the Commission, the following general steps formed the outline for all selection exercises for appointments below the High Court: application, consultation, sift and interviews and/or assessment centres. For the final High Court exercise before 2006 the process was the same except that candidates were not interviewed but considered on the papers by the selection panel. For all exercises, applicants were assessed against published criteria for the appointment in question. In addition to the minimum criteria set out in law for appointment to each level of post, applicants have to demonstrate that they have the qualities and abilities needed to successfully take on judicial office, including relevant knowledge and experience, independence, professionalism, judgment and people skills. Information about candidates' political views is neither sought nor taken into account in the selection process.
	The following tables set out the numbers of applicants for (save for the Court of Appeal), and appointments to, salaried judicial posts (not including magistrates) in the Courts system for the five-year period 2002-03 to 2006-07, plus appointments to the fee-paid position of Recorder. It is not possible to identify separately appointments to the Crown court and county court as judges on the Circuit Bench and Recorders are deployed to either. District Judges only sit in the county court.
	
		
			  Court of Appeal 
			   Appointed 
			 2006-07 4 
			 2005-06 4 
			 2004-05 1 
			 2003-04 6 
			 2002-03 2 
		
	
	
		
			  High Court 
			   Applicants  Appointed 
			 2006-07 8  
			 2005-06 129 8 
			 2004-05 128 11 
			 2003-04 174 10 
			 2002-03 57 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Senior Circuit J udge 
			   Applicants  Appointed  Rejected 
			 2006-07 (1)— 3 — 
			 2005-06 41 5 36 
			 2004-05 39 6 33 
			 2003-04 41 7 34 
			 2002-03 30 4 26 
			 (1) Appointments made from a combination of pre-JAC exercises and the upgrading of a Circuit Judge post to Senior Circuit Judge. 
		
	
	
		
			  Circuit B ench 
			   Applicants  Appointed  Reserve  Rejected 
			 2006-07 (1)— — — — 
			 2005-06 248 42 64 142 
			 2004-05 112 6 28 78 
			 2003-04 207 30 65 112 
			 2002-03 (2)— — — — 
			 (1) No general competition was completed in 2006-07. However, nine vacancies arose in this period, nine posts were filled by candidates who were on the circuit bench reserve list established after the 2005-06 competition. (2) No general competition was held in 2002-03. However, 39 vacancies arose in this period, 38 posts were filled by candidates who were on the circuit bench reserve list established after the 2001-02 competition. 
		
	
	
		
			  District B ench 
			   Applicants  Appointed  Reserve  Rejected 
			 2006-07 (1)— — — — 
			 2005-06 24 13 2 9 
			 2004-05 248 26 27 195 
			 2003-04 29 3 2 24 
			 2002-03 241 15 22 204 
			 (1) No general competition was completed in 2006-07. However, 12 vacancies arose in this period, 12 posts were filled by candidates who were on the district bench reserve list established after the 2005-06 competition. 
		
	
	
		
			  Recorder 
			   Applicants  Appointed  Reserve  Rejected 
			 2006-07 350 45 — 305 
			 2005-06 782 162 192 428 
			 2004-05 683 143 — 540 
			 2003-04 267 20 26 221 
			 2002-03 589 93 83 413

Judges: Retirement

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the mandatory retirement age is for  (a) Crown court judges and  (b) Law Lords; when this was last increased; what recent representations he has received on the matter; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what procedures are in place for Crown court judges to apply to continue to work over the age of retirement; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Crown court sittings are mainly undertaken by Circuit Judges and Recorders. The normal mandatory retirement age for Circuit Judges is set at 70 under the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993, subject to the power of extension year-on-year to an age limit of 75 under ss.26(5) and (6) of the Act and to transitional provisions under which a judge already serving on the implementation of the Act (31 March 1995) retains his pre-existing retirement age. It is currently the policy that Recorders cease to serve at the end of the financial year in which they reach the age of 65. I have received representations from individual Recorders requesting to sit past the age of 65, and the current policy has been confirmed in each case.
	The retirement age for Law Lords is set at 70 by the 1993 Act, subject to the transitional provisions already mentioned. In their case there is no provision for the extension of service under s.26 of the Act.
	The procedures for continuation of judicial office after normal retirement date are set out in ss.26(5) and (6) of the 1993 Act, as amended by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, enabling the Lord Chief Justice to extend Circuit Judge appointments with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor if he considers it desirable in the public interest.
	Separately, provisions exist for the appointment of retired Circuit Judges as Deputy Circuit Judges, under s.24 of the Courts Act 1971, as amended by s.55 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. The Lord Chancellor with the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice needs to approve a business case before appointing a retiring Circuit Judge to sit as a DCJ. The age limit for Deputy Circuit Judges is 75.

National Identity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of the consultation on the Statement of British values has been to date including  (a) external consultancy costs and  (b) consultations.

Michael Wills: No consultation or external consultancy costs have been incurred to date in developing the process of public engagement to develop a British statement of values.
	Work is still under way on finalising plans for the consultation process, but Parliament and the public can be assured that the Government will look for value for money in carrying out this programme.

Offenders: Drugs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders were recorded as being  (a) drug free and  (b) having a drug addiction on release from prison in the last year for which figures are available.

David Hanson: A comprehensive drug treatment framework is in place in prisons to address the varying needs of low, moderate and severe drug mis-users and which encourages prisoners to stay off illegal drugs. The number of offenders recorded as drug free or having a drug addiction on release is not recorded. Research evidence however reports that post-release misuse is not as high as pre-prison usage. Research also shows that prison is one of the key influences in getting people off drugs. Overall, prison contributes to a significant reduction in drug misuse for the majority of prisoners.

Peers: Taxation

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will include in any forthcoming legislation on Lords reform a requirement that all members of the second chamber sign a declaration annually confirming that they are UK residents for tax purposes.

Bridget Prentice: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor outlined Government plans on the immediate next steps on House of Lords reform in his statement on 19 July 2007,  Official Report, column 449. My Department hopes to be able to publish a further White Paper shortly, with the aim of producing draft clauses that would form elements of the final draft Bill and formulating comprehensive reform proposals through the work of the cross-party working group on Lords reform.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government's plans to bring forward legislation on reform of party funding will include measures on  (a) reform of the Electoral Commission and  (b) a cap on donations.

Jack Straw: Following the suspension of the inter-party talks chaired by Sir Hayden Phillips on 30 October 2007, the Government are considering the detail of proposals on party funding and expenditure.
	The Government will shortly publish their response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life's review of the Electoral Commission.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he received from trade unions on the financing of political parties in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: In my capacity as one of my party's representatives involved in the cross party talks and inquiry led by Sir Hayden Phillips I discussed the issue of party funding with affiliated trade union representatives, and many others, on many occasions. The Labour party evidence to the Phillips inquiry, reflecting much of these discussions, is in the public domain.
	In my capacity as Secretary of State for Justice, I have received no representations from trade unions on the financing of political parties.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government plan to consult before publishing proposals on the regulation of party funding and expenditure.

Jack Straw: The Government are considering currently what steps to take ahead of bringing forward proposals on the regulation of party funding and expenditure, and have been well informed of the parties' views by the parties' contributions to the Sir Hayden Phillips inquiry. The Review of the Funding of Political Parties, chaired by Sir Hayden Phillips conducted wide-ranging consultation with both political parties and the wider public.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will  (a) place in the Library and  (b) publish the background papers produced by Sir Hayden Phillips and circulated to the political parties during the inter-party talks on party funding.

Jack Straw: It is for Sir Hayden Phillips to determine what papers are released and not me. Sir Hayden has already published the draft agreement which he proposed to the parties in late August.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the emails, papers and correspondence produced by Sir Hayden Phillips and his team during the inter-party talks on party funding are deemed to be held by the Ministry for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Jack Straw: Sir Hayden Phillips's records are not deemed to be held by or on behalf of the Ministry of Justice for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. However, correspondence and copies of records sent by Sir Hayden Phillips to the Ministry of Justice are held by the Ministry of Justice for the purposes of the Act.

Prison Service: Pay

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the starting salary of a prison officer was  (a) in 1997,  (b) in 1997 in 2007 prices and  (c) in 2007.

David Hanson: Prison officer starting salary in May 1997 was £14,430. If this was adjusted by the rate of inflation, it would be £18,398. Changes have been made to the progression on pay scales to ensure new entrants progress much quicker. Progression to the pay maximum for a new entrant in 2007 now takes a total of six years; in 1997 it took 15 years. Prison officer salary after six years in 1997 would be £23,409, if increased to 2007-08 prices, with a further nine years to reach the maximum. Prison officer salary after six years service in 2007 would be £23,872, with a further two years to reach the maximum. I also refer the hon. Gentleman to my previous answer on 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1148W.

Prisoners

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) Chinese and  (b) Nigerian nationals are in prison in the UK;
	(2)  how many  (a) Lithuanian and  (b) Slovenian nationals are in prison in the UK;
	(3)  how many  (a) Bulgarian and  (b) Romanian nationals are in prison in the UK;
	(4)  how many  (a) Polish and  (b) Estonian nationals are in prison in the UK.

David Hanson: The information requested is published quarterly for England and Wales, within the regular prison population in custody statistics available from the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	The following table shows the information requested:
	
		
			  Foreign national prisoners by nationality in prison establishments in England and Wales September 2007 
			   Number 
			 China 349 
			 Nigeria 1,098 
			 Lithuania 203 
			 Slovenia 5 
			 Bulgaria 33 
			 Romania 140 
			 Poland 362 
			 Estonia 22 
			  Note: Figures available from website: http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/population-in-custodySep07.pdf 
		
	
	Information on the numbers of foreign national prisoners serving prison sentences in prison establishments in Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and Northern Ireland Prison Service respectively.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners Release: Voting Rights

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether prisoners on  (a) end of custody licence,  (b) release on temporary licence and  (c) home detention curfew are eligible to vote if registered.

Bridget Prentice: Prisoners who are "detained in a penal institution" are ineligible to vote in all UK elections.

Alcohol Dependency

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the incidence of serious alcohol dependency was among prisoners in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make it his policy to record the level of funding given for the provision of treatment and rehabilitation of people with an alcohol dependency within the criminal justice system.

David Hanson: Data on the incidence of serious alcohol dependency are not recorded. Research carried out by the Office for National Statistics reported that 7 per cent. of those coming into prison had high treatment needs, which is a good indication of dependency.
	Alcohol treatment and rehabilitation services for those with an alcohol dependency in prisons are in the main provided within the wider drug treatment framework. The proportion of funding specifically allocated for alcohol is not disaggregated.

Prisoners: Deportation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to grant magistrates the power to deport foreign criminals.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	Magistrates already have the power to recommend foreign nationals for deportation under section 3(6) of the Immigration Act 1971.

Prisoners: Deportation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  with which countries the Government have concluded formal agreements for the return of foreign prisoners to serve a proportion of their sentence in their home country;
	(2)  what payments the Government have made to foreign countries for the transfer of foreign nationals imprisoned in the UK to serve the final part of their sentence in their home country.

David Hanson: The United Kingdom is a party to two multi-party prisoner transfer agreements, the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and the Commonwealth Scheme for the Transfer of Convicted Offenders. In addition, the United Kingdom has concluded a small number of bilateral prisoner transfer agreements. The following lists those countries and territories with which the United Kingdom has a prisoner transfer arrangement.
	No payments have been made to foreign countries for the transfer of prisoners to serve the remainder of their sentence.
	 Countries and T erritories with which the United Kingdom has a Prisoner Transfer A greement
	Albania
	America
	Andorra
	Anguilla
	Antigua and Barbuda
	Armenia
	Aruba
	Australia
	Austria
	Azerbaijan
	Bahamas
	Barbados
	Belgium
	Bermuda
	Bolivia
	Bosnia Herzegovina
	Bouvet Island
	Brazil
	British Indian Ocean Territories
	British Virgin Islands
	Bulgaria
	Canada
	Cayman Islands
	Chile
	Cook Islands
	Costa Rica
	Croatia
	Cuba
	Cyprus
	Czech Republic
	Denmark
	Dutch Antilies
	Ecuador
	Egypt
	Estonia
	Falkland Islands
	Faroe Islands
	Finland
	France
	Georgia
	Gibraltar
	Germany
	Greece
	Grenada
	Henderson, Ducie and Oeno
	Hong Kong
	Hungary
	Iceland
	India
	Ireland
	Israel
	Italy
	Japan
	Korea
	Latvia
	Liechtenstein
	Lithuania
	Luxembourg
	Macedonia
	Malawi
	Malta
	Mauritius
	Mexico
	Moldova
	Montserrat
	Montenegro
	Morocco
	Netherlands
	Nicaragua
	Norway
	Panama
	Peru
	Peter I Island
	Pitcairn
	Poland
	Portugal
	Queen Maud Land
	Romania
	Samoa
	San Marino
	Serbia
	Slovakia
	Slovenia
	Spain
	Sri Lanka
	St. Helena and Dependencies
	Sovereign Base Areas Cyprus
	Suriname
	Sweden
	Switzerland
	Thailand
	Tonga
	Trinidad and Tobago
	Turkey
	Uganda
	Ukraine
	Venezuela.

Prisoners: Deportation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with which foreign states the UK has arrangements for the return of prisoners to their home country to complete their prison sentences; how many nationals of such countries are currently in UK prisons; and how many prisoners the Government expect to be returned as a result of the arrangements in place.

David Hanson: The countries and territories with which the United Kingdom has a prisoner transfer arrangement and the number of prisoners held in England and Wales from each of those countries are given in the following table.
	In the Police and Justice Act 2006 the Government amended the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984 to enable prisoners to be transferred without their consent where the relevant international agreement does not require it. Subject to the views of the other Governments concerned, the United Kingdom will, in the future, seek to negotiate prisoners transfer agreements which do not enable prisoner to prevent transfer by withholding their consent. However, each of the agreements listed below requires the consent of both states involved, as well as that of the prisoner concerned. As a consequence it is not possible to say how many prisoners will be transferred under these agreements in the future.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so although shown to the last individual, the figure may not be accurate to that level.
	The figures in the following table relate to England and Wales only.
	
		
			  Countries with which the United Kingdom has a prisoner transfer agreement and the number of prisoners from each of those countries held in prisons in England and Wales as at 30 September 2007 
			   Number 
			 Albania 122 
			 Andorra — 
			 Anguilla 1 
			 Antigua and Barbuda/Dutch Antilles(1) 10 
			 Armenia 5 
			 Aruba — 
			 Australia 19 
			 Austria 11 
			 Azerbaijan 3 
			 Bahamas 5 
			 Barbados 27 
			 Belgium 32 
			 Bermuda 4 
			 Bolivia 4 
			 Bosnia Herzegovina 5 
			 Bouvet Island — 
			 Brazil 51 
			 British Indian Ocean Territories 1 
			 British Virgin Islands — 
			 Bulgaria 15 
			 Canada 19 
			 Cayman Islands — 
			 Chile 8 
			 Cook Islands(1) n/k 
			 Costa Rica 3 
			 Croatia 91 
			 Cuba — 
			 Cyprus 38 
			 Czech Republic 38 
			 Denmark 4 
			 Ecuador 8 
			 Egypt 8 
			 Estonia 16 
			 Falkland Islands — 
			 Faroe Islands — 
			 Finland 3 
			 France 104 
			 Georgia 12 
			 Gibraltar 2 
			 Germany 105 
			 Greece 14 
			 Grenada 14 
			 Henderson, Ducie and Oeno(1) — 
			 Hong Kong 5 
			 Hungary 16 
			 Iceland 1 
			 India 204 
			 Ireland 554 
			 Israel 14 
			 Italy 76 
			 Japan 1 
			 Korea 5 
			 Latvia 37 
			 Liechtenstein — 
			 Lithuania 131 
			 Luxembourg — 
			 Macedonia — 
			 Malawi 9 
			 Malta 5 
			 Mauritius 13 
			 Mexico 18 
			 Moldova 21 
			 Montserrat 10 
			 Morocco 28 
			 Netherlands 92 
			 Nicaragua — 
			 Norway 5 
			 Panama 3 
			 Peru 3 
			 Peter I Island(1) — 
			 Pitcairn — 
			 Poland 203 
			 Portugal 148 
			 Queen Maud Land(1) — 
			 Romania 76 
			 Samoa — 
			 San Marino 1 
			 Serbia/Montenegro(2) 56 
			 Slovakia 12 
			 Slovenia 5 
			 Spain 57 
			 Sri Lanka 86 
			 St. Helena and Dependencies — 
			 Sovereign Base Areas Cyprus — 
			 Suriname 10 
			 Sweden 7 
			 Switzerland 6 
			 Thailand 5 
			 Tonga — 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 78 
			 Turkey 150 
			 Uganda 56 
			 Ukraine(1) n/k 
			 United States of America 89 
			 Venezuela 19 
			   
			 Other 8 
			 (1) We cannot separately identify all nationalities with which we have a prisoner transfer agreement. These are as follows: Ukraine is included with Russia (We do not have a prisoner transfer agreement with Russia) Cook Islands are included with New Zealand (We do not have a prisoner transfer agreement with New Zealand). Antigua and Barbuda are included with the Dutch Antilles. We have prisoner transfer agreements with both Antigua and Barbuda and the Dutch Antilles. Queen Maud Land and Peter I Island are included in Other. Henderson, Ducie and Oeno are included with Portugal. We have a prisoner transfer agreement with both the Islands and with Portugal. (2) Serbia and Montenegro are recorded together but since the separation on Montenegro from Serbia, Montenegro is a signatory to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons in its own right.

Prisoners: Females

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many women were sentenced to prison in each year since 2000;
	(2)  how many women were imprisoned in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of women sentenced to immediate custody in England and Wales 
			 1997 5,506 
			 1998 6,567 
			 1999 7,504 
			 2000 7,900 
			 2001 8,061 
			 2002 8,831 
			 2003 8,810 
			 2004 8,754 
			 2005 8,281 
		
	
	Figures for 2006 will be published in mid-December.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Prisons: Drugs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the percentage of prisoners who have taken illegal drugs while in prison in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The best measure of drug misuse in prisons is provided by the random mandatory drug testing programme. The positive rate for 2006-07 was 8.8 per cent.

Prisons: Television

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many television sets have been bought by the prison service in each year since 1997; and what the cost of such purchases was in each year.

Maria Eagle: There are two categories of television set purchasing in the Prison Service. Firstly, there are the sets purchased by the Prison Service for use in communal areas within prisons and, where appropriate, office locations across the service. Details of the sets purchased in these circumstances are not recorded centrally, and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	Secondly, since 1998 there has been a programme of purchasing television sets for prisoners' use in their cells. The number of sets purchased in these circumstances are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of sets purchased 
			 1998-99 10,388 
			 1999-2000 4,938 
			 2000-01 13,580 
			 2001-02 8,488 
			 2002-03 12,616 
			 2003-04 5,975 
			 2004-05 13,791 
			 2005-06 9,171 
			 2006-07 12,450 
		
	
	The costs information of these purchases is classed as commercially sensitive. However with the exception of 1998-99 when £500,000 of public funds were used to start up the In-Cell TV initiative, all of these sets have been funded from the weekly rental charges collected from prisoners.

Prisons: Television

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners receive Sky or other digital television services in their cells; and what the cost to the Prison Service was of prisoners receiving such services in their cells in financial year 2006-07.

Maria Eagle: No prisoners in public sector prisons now receive Sky or other television channels in their cells for which a subscription is payable. Where it was previously provided, the cost cannot be separated from the subscriptions for Sky TV in communal areas. In advance of the national conversion to digital reception, some prisoners on the enhanced privilege level have been allowed receivers for free-to-air digital in cell, often at their own expense. No new Freeview boxes have been permitted since October 2006. Details of those previously provided at Prison Service expense, and the cost, are not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	To date, in-cell television installations in 22 prison establishments have been converted to receive digital broadcasts as part of the national conversion from analogue. The cost (£545,781 (excluding VAT) in 2006-07) is being covered from the rental paid by individual prisoners.
	In three contracted prisons—Altcourse, Lowdham Grange and Parc—1,230 prisoners have limited access to Sky TV in cell as an earned privilege. The number of eligible prisoners varies daily. The cost is met by the contractors.

Street Offences Act 1959

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offences under the Street Offences Act 1959 there were in each year since 1997; and how many of those convicted were  (a) 16 or 17-years-old and  (b) 18 years or older.

Maria Eagle: The information requested on the number of defendants found guilty under the Street Offences Act 1959 in England and Wales for the years 1997-2005 is provided in the following table. Information for 2006 will be available at the end of November 2007.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts under the Street Offences Act 1959 section 1, England and Wales 1997  to  2005( 1,)( )( 2) 
			   16-17  18 and over  All ages 
			 1997 146 5,543 5,695 
			 1998 109 5,112 5,223 
			 1999 38 3,339 3,378 
			 2000(3) 21 3,374 3,397 
			 2001 6 2,834 2,841 
			 2002 6 2,662 2,668 
			 2003 3 2,624 2,627 
			 2004 3 1,732 1,735 
			 2005 0 1,115 1,116 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.   Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Our ref. IOS 396-07 (Table).

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings he has had with trade union representatives in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: Since I became the Secretary of State for Justice in late June 2007, I have met with trade union representatives on six occasions regarding departmental business.
	These have been with representatives from the Prison Officers Association, the Prison Governors Association, the Prison Service Joint Industrial Council, the Transport and General Workers Union, Amicus, GMB, Unison and the Trade Union Congress.
	If the right hon. Gentleman wish to know about my time as Leader of the Commons please let me know.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps have been taken to make access to the Violent and Sex Offender Register compliant with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice and The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) fully support the important principle that their employees have equality of access to technology and the tools which underpin their daily work. We are working closely with The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), which owns the ViSOR system, our suppliers and assisted technology users within NOMS to identify the changes required to ViSOR to make it compatible with assistive technologies. Initial results suggest it is already compliant in many areas but further tests are being scheduled.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the training database for the Violent and Sex Offender Register is available in all Probation Board areas in England and Wales.

Maria Eagle: Access to the ViSOR training database, hosted at National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) Hendon, is in the process of being made available to all Probation Board areas. This work is being progressed as part of the current deployment of ViSOR to the National Probation Service.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the timetable is for the deployment by police authorities and probation areas in England and Wales of the Violent and Sex Offender Register.

Maria Eagle: The deployment of ViSOR to police forces in England and Wales was completed by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO), in March 2005. Deployment to probation areas commenced on 1 October 2007 and is scheduled to complete in spring 2008.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what his Department's expenditure on the Violent and Sex Offender Register is in each financial year of the lifetime of the project;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on the Violent and Sex Offender's Register in each financial year of the project; and how much has been allocated to the project for each financial year within the existing planning horizon.

Maria Eagle: Existing and planned expenditure by the Ministry of Justice between 2005 and 2015 on the deployment of ViSOR into the National Offender Management Service is:
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2005-06 2.79 
			 2006-07 3.5 
			 2007-08 7.15 
			 2008-09 (1)3.66 
			 2009-10 (1)2.91 
			 2010-11 (1)5.03 
			 2011-12 (1)3.05 
			 2012-13 (1)3.54 
			 2013-14 (1)2.77 
			 2014-15 (1)2.78 
			 Total 37.18 
			 (1) Includes £l million per annum contribution, shared between probation boards, to ViSOR running costs. 
		
	
	Funding allocations to the project over the lifetime of the ViSOR business case (2005-15) are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure/Allocations (£ million) 
			 2005-06 2.79 
			 2006-07 3.5 
			 2007-08 7.15 
			 2008-09 2.66 
			 2009-10 1.91 
			 2010-11 4.03 
			 2011-12 2.05 
			 2012-13 2.54 
			 2013-14 1.77 
			 2014-15 1.78 
			 Total 30.18 
		
	
	Costs include depreciation and cost of capital.

Young Offenders

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young people under 18-years-old were found guilty of  (a) vehicle crime,  (b) domestic burglary and  (c) robbery in each of the Government office regions in (i) England and (ii) Wales in each year since 2000.

Maria Eagle: The information requested covering the offences of (i) burglary and aggravated burglary in a dwelling (ii) robbery and vehicle crime comprising (iii) theft of a motor vehicle and (iv) theft from a motor vehicle is provided in the following tables.
	Data for 2006 will be available at the end of November 2007.
	
		
			  Number of offenders aged 10-17 found guilty at all courts for selected offences, by region, England and Wales 2000-05( 1,2,3) 
			   Burglary and aggravated burglary in a dwelling 
			  Region  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 England   
			
			 North East 258 248 267 216 181 195 
			 North West 616 531 627 536 621 694 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 503 495 450 399 491 466 
			 East Midlands 387 307 344 315 276 302 
			 West Midlands 431 381 343 344 354 354 
			 East of England 234 201 253 277 284 290 
			 London 306 279 286 310 322 347 
			 South East 389 349 347 366 361 378 
			 South West 209 203 193 183 192 183 
			 Total England 3,333 2,994 3,110 2,946 3,082 3,209 
			
			 Wales 287 319 259 253 241 213 
			
			 Total 3,620 3,313 3,369 3,199 3,323 3,422 
		
	
	
		
			   Robbery 
			  Region  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 England   
			
			 North East 117 111 84 106 83 68 
			 North West 323 396 411 448 405 432 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 188 243 281 294 322 301 
			 East Midlands 161 180 230 207 244 210 
			 West Midlands 321 420 412 306 437 409 
			 East of England 87 131 129 122 120 193 
			 London 707 988 865 784 1,010 1,106 
			 South East 164 184 239 202 198 204 
			 South West 92 80 91 108 89 108 
			 Total England 2,160 2,733 2,742 2,577 2,908 3,031 
			
			 Wales 65 59 65 64 56 48 
			
			 Total 2,225 2,792 2,807 2,641 2,964 3,079 
		
	
	
		
			   Vehicle crime( 4) 
			  Region  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 England   
			
			 North East 92 74 97 100 62 45 
			 North West 196 155 155 131 168 153 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 165 180 155 170 163 190 
			 East Midlands 142 147 106 95 108 71 
			 West Midlands 142 110 137 117 138 83 
			 East of England 144 127 146 143 87 90 
			 London 108 122 98 77 98 90 
			 South East 155 132 114 139 115 120 
			 South West 49 36 34 34 46 50 
			 Total England 1,193 1,083 1,042 1,006 985 892 
			
			 Wales 48 37 37 42 76 56 
			
			 Total 1,241 1,120 1,079 1,048 1,061 948 
			 (1 )These data are provided on the principal offence basis.  (2 )Staffordshire police force were only able to supply a sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Estimates based on this sample are included in the figures, as they are considered sufficiently robust at this high level of analysis.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (4) Includes offences of theft of a vehicle and theft from a vehicle.   Source:  Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Young Offenders: Fines

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether it is the policy of the Courts Service to pursue parents for fines levied against juvenile offenders where a parent of the offender was the victim of the offence.

Maria Eagle: The decision to impose a fine on a juvenile or the parents is a matter for the court, in exercise of its judicial discretion. Under section 137 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000, where a child aged 10 to 15 is dealt with by way of a financial penalty, the court has a duty to order that the fine, compensation or costs awarded be paid by the parent or guardian, unless they cannot be found or it would be unreasonable to do so. In the case of a young person aged 16 or more the court has discretion to make such an order as opposed to a duty.
	Her Majesty's Courts Service has a duty to collect the fine from whomever the court has made the order against.

Youth Offending Teams: Finance

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average budget was for a youth offending team in each of the last seven years.

David Hanson: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   YOT average budget 
			 2002-03 1.3 
			 2003-04 1.41 
			 2004-05 1.49 
			 2005-06 1.57 
			 2006-07 1.63 
			  Source:  Youth Justice Board. Data are not available prior to 2002-03.

Youth Offending Teams: Finance

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much total funding was provided by statutory agencies for youth offending teams in each of the last seven years; and how much of that was provided by each agency.

David Hanson: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   YJB  Police  Probation  Social Services  Education  Health  LA  Total 
			 2002-03 46.7 19.2 16.2 83.7 13.8 9.5 13.1 202.0 
			 2003-04 47.5 20.9 17.2 89.5 14.3 10.1 18.3 217.8 
			 2004-05 48.7 22.1 17.6 94.7 13.4 11.1 23.8 231.4 
			 2005-06 50.4 23.4 17.5 101.9 12.6 11.7 28.0 245.5 
			 2006-07 51.3 23.1 18.0 101.2 20.9 12.4 27.5 254.4 
			 Total 244.4 108.7 86.5 470.7 75.0 54.8 110.7 — 
			  Source:  Youth Justice Board. data are not available prior to 2002-03.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's personnel are in each province of Afghanistan; what their role is in each province; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: On security grounds, we do not reveal the location of DFID personnel in Afghanistan

Burundi: Asylum

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance has been given to aid the return of Burundi refugees from Tanzania and Uganda to their homes.

Gareth Thomas: There are approximately 300,000 Burundi refugees in Northern Tanzania, many of whom have been there for more than 30 years. Following the joint decision by the Governments of Burundi and Tanzania to speed up refugee returns, some 100,000 of these will return home by the middle of 2008. Most of the remaining 200,000 are expected to apply for Tanzanian nationality. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there are 1,323 Burundians in Uganda. We are not aware of their imminent return, but all would be entitled to UNHCR's returnee assistance package (excluding cash grants) on voluntary return, and to inclusion in its reintegration and protection activities in Burundi.
	DFID Burundi has provided £1.1 million to UNHCR to fund continued cash grants (agreed as a means of encouraging return) to refugees repatriating from Tanzania. A further £350,000 has been contributed to the World Food Programme's Protracted Refugee and Relief Operation for Burundi, primarily to support additional food needs within the refugee return programme.

Burundi: Overseas Aid

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was given in aid to Burundi over the last five years; and what conditionality was attached to it.

Gareth Thomas: Information on UK aid to Burundi is available in the DFID publication 'Statistics on International Development 2007'. This publication is available online at www.dfid.gov.uk.
	Relevant figures are reproduced in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: UK total bilateral gross public expenditure on development 2002-03—2006-07 
			  £ 000 
			   Burundi 
			 2002-03 1,934 
			 2003-04 3,407 
			 2004-05 5,612 
			 2005-06 11,959 
			 2006-07 9,672 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Imputed UK share of multilateral official d evelopment assistance (ODA) 200  -05 
			  £000 
			   Burundi 
			 2001 6,190 
			 2002 3,893 
			 2003 8,473 
			 2004 6,689 
			 2005 10,752 
		
	
	Most of the bilateral funding for 2002-2005 was humanitarian aid and not subject to conditionality. With the transition from emergency funding in late 2005/ early 2006, DFID has applied its policy that all UK aid is dependent on partner's commitment to reducing poverty, respecting human rights and other international obligations and strengthening financial management and accountability. There has been no specific conditionally, except in the case for our support to the President's free health care initiative, where we sought written confirmation from the Ministry of Finance that sufficient funds would be available to the Ministry of Health to continue the initiative in 2008. We put in place monitoring arrangements for all our aid, to ensure that it is spent as intended and achieves its objectives. Non- governmental organisations and UN partners monitored humanitarian assistance on our behalf to ensure it reached beneficiaries.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations his Department has made in relation to the time taken to begin the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is working closely with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Bank and the Belgian and German Governments towards full implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in the DRC from January 2008. We have repeatedly discussed the importance of progress on the EITI with the Ministry of Planning, which is leading the initiative for the DRC Government.
	Together with our international partners, we have been instrumental in getting the EITI process back on track following a period of inaction caused by the elections in 2006. At its annual meeting in September this year, the EITI Secretariat noted the strong progress made by the DRC and granted the DRC Government until the end of 2007 to comply with the EITI pre-validation conditions. We are advised that these will be met by the end of the year, paving the way for full implementation in the new year.

Departmental Manpower

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the full-time equivalent headcount in his Department is; what the forecast full-time equivalent headcount for his Department is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: At 31 October 2007, DFID employed 1,675 home civil service staff on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis and 849 FTE staff appointed in country (SAIC) who work overseas on local terms and conditions of service.
	Headcount projections for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 financial years have yet to be established. DFID is currently considering the staffing implications of the CSR 2007 financial settlement, which requires the Department to make savings in administration costs over the three years of the settlement period.

Forced Labour: Cocoa

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the extent of use of child labour in the cocoa supply chain in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not made an assessment of the level of child labour in cocoa production. We are aware of some pilot surveys, such as that by the Ghana Cocoa Board, however this is an area in which it is difficult to get accurate data.
	It is clear that agriculture remains the sector in which child labour is most prevalent. The International Labour Organisation estimates that globally there are over 132 million child labourers in agriculture. This represents 70 per cent. of all child labour.

Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessments his Department makes of the effectiveness of administering aid through multilateral institutions; and what account is taken of these assessments in deciding on the level of funding administered through multilateral institutions.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has compiled Multilateral Development Effectiveness Summaries for 15 key multilateral partners including the EC, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, UNICEF, UNAIDS, United Nations Population Fund, World Health Organisation and the Global Fund for Aids, TB and Malaria. These distil information about how well individual organisations manage their resources, contribute to results on the ground, are building for the future and are working with others. While they do not measure the merits of the organisation's development objectives, the MDES are a useful tool for assessing organisational effectiveness.
	The MDES draw on various published data sources including: surveys carried out by the Multilateral Organisations Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), a group of 10 donors, including DFID, assessing effectiveness at the country level; the Paris Indicators on Aid Effectiveness monitoring exercise; and performance reporting by the multilateral themselves. The findings of the MDES show a range of performance across the multilateral system. Where gaps and weaknesses have been identified, we are using these findings to inform our ongoing policy dialogue on effectiveness with the agencies concerned.
	Information on multilateral effectiveness is one of a number of issues taken into account in making resource allocation decisions across the multilateral system. These include existing legal commitments, progress on reform of the agency concerned, the quality of its leadership and the specific role it plays within the overall international development architecture.

Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the relative effectiveness of administering aid through multilateral institutions and bilaterally.

Gareth Thomas: UK aid resources are allocated to ensure the maximum total impact on poverty reduction and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We use a combination of channels, instruments and interventions which complement and build on each other's strengths. Allocations are informed by robust evidence of the effectiveness of different channels and institutions.
	DFID has compiled Multilateral Development Effectiveness Summaries for 15 key multilateral partners. These distil information from various published data sources about how well individual organisations manage their resources, contribute to results on the ground, are building for the future and are working together. While they do not measure the merits of the organisation's development objectives, the MDBS are a useful tool for assessing organisational effectiveness. The findings of the MDES show a range of performance across the multilateral system. Where gaps and weaknesses have been identified, we are using these findings to inform our ongoing policy dialogue on effectiveness of the agencies concerned.
	Bilateral projects and country programmes are assessed for their contribution towards international development goals, against countries' own objectives, DFID corporate targets and international commitments on aid effectiveness. This is complemented by in-depth project, country programme, thematic and international evaluations.

Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of his Department's aid budget was administered through multilateral institutions in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: A summary of DFID's multilateral assistance over the last five years is set out in the following table. These figures do not include the element of DFID funding channelled through multilaterals which is classified as bilateral assistance under DAC statistical reporting directives.
	
		
			  DFID multilateral assistance, 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			   Total multilateral assistance (£ million)  Proportion of total DFID programme (percentage) 
			 2002-03 1,490 44 
			 2003-04 1,832 46 
			 2004-05 1,611 41 
			 2005-06 1,725 39 
			 2006-07 2,126 43

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) nature and  (b) financial value was of development assistance given to the Pakistani government in each of the last three financial years; what planned expenditure is on such assistance in the (i) current and (ii) next financial year; which elements of such assistance are under review following the suspension of the Pakistani constitution; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 12 November 2007
	DFID's development assistance to the Government of Pakistan in the last three years has included a mix of financial aid, technical cooperation and humanitarian assistance. This has supported programmes to deliver basic services, improve governance and accelerate income growth.
	Expenditure for each of the last three financial years was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 31,377,000 
			 2005-06 97,413,000 
			 2006-07 101,118,000 
		
	
	Our Pakistan development programme is framed by a 10-year Development Partnership Agreement (DPA) signed in 2006. by Prime Ministers Blair and Aziz. The DPA envisages doubling the UK aid programme over three years to 2010-11, predicated on Pakistani commitments, including the observation of human rights. In light of recent events, our future programme is under review. Our first priority remains the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Pakistan.

Sudan: Foreign Aid

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effects of UK aid funding on the situation in Darfur.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor to Sudan and has spent over £145 million supporting emergency relief operations in Darfur since April 2004. This aid is having a clear and positive effect. It has contributed to food assistance for an estimated five million people, non-food items for 300,000 households and access to clean water for 2.3 million people. Our £40 million contribution in 2007 to the pioneering Common Humanitarian Fund has provided 340,000 households with non-food items, assisted approximately 75,000 organised returnees, 105,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees and assisted future organised returns for over 500,000 IDPs. In Southern Sudan it has enabled nine million children to be vaccinated against Polio, one million against measles and resulted in a 19 per cent. drop in food aid requirements. The UK also has a £12 million p.a. bilateral programme with non-governmental organisations in Darfur which provides water, sanitation and health care to over four million people, of which 2.2 million are internally displaced in camps.
	The UK has pledged £5 million to the Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund launched by the UN and international partners to promote peace and reconciliation at the community level and contributed £73 million to the African Union Mission in Sudan to help support the protection of civilians in Darfur. The UK stands ready to implement a major recovery programme, pending the cessation of hostilities.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Housing Benefit

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people are in receipt of housing benefit in  (a) Ribble Valley,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) the UK.

James Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
	The most recent available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Households in Ribble Valley borough council, Lancashire, and Great Britain as at February 2007 
			  Number 
			 Ribble Valley 1,480 
			 Lancashire 66,090 
			 Great Britain 4,039,750 
			  Notes: 1. The data refer to households, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases.  Source:  Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count, taken in February 2007.

Housing Benefit

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on housing benefit in  (a) Ribble Valley,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) the UK in each of the last 10 years.

James Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit expenditure figures for Ribble Valley borough council, Lancashire and Great Britain in each year; in nominal terms 
			  £ million 
			   Ribble Valley borough council  Lancashire  Great Britain 
			 1997-98 3.2 163.7 11,176.4 
			 1998-99 3.2 163.6 11,064.8 
			 1999-2000 3.3 169.1 11,063.3 
			 2000-01 3.3 169.6 11,162.3 
			 2001-02 3.4 175.2 11,588.3 
			 2002-03 3.9 189.1 12,636.2 
			 2003-04 3.5 183.7 12,340.9 
			 2004-05 3.9 187.6 13,156.1 
			 2005-06 4.4 195.2 13,982.2 
			 2006-07 4.4 195.2 14,839.7 
			  Notes: 1. Information sourced from local authority claims for housing revenue account subsidy and housing benefit and council tax benefit subsidy. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000. 3. Figures prior to 2006-07 are audited, but may change in future if local authorities' audited accounts are amended after a decision or appeal. Figures for recent years are more likely to be amended than older data. 4. 2006-07 figures are initial final (pre-audited) and are subject to change. 5. From 1999-2000 onwards, housing and council tax benefit expenditure on asylum seekers was funded by the National Asylum Support Service, and is therefore excluded from the figures presented at Great Britain. However, local authority level information includes all expenditure on these benefits relating to asylum seekers, as it is not possible to isolate at this level that part which applies to asylum seekers. 6. Figures relate to what local authorities spend on claimants, and include discretionary expenditure (mainly disregards of War Pensions), and overpayments except where benefit has been granted in advance (where the benefit is paid in the form of a rebate).  Source:  DWP Benefit expenditure tables. DWP housing benefit and council tax benefit expenditure tables are available online at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/HBandCTB_expenditure.asp

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

English Collective of Prostitutes

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women whether the Government had meetings with the  (a) English Collective of Prostitutes and  (b) Safety First Coalition in the last 12 months; and whether such meetings are planned.

Barbara Follett: There have been no meetings with the English Collective of Prostitutes or the Safety First Coalition in the last twelve months. Currently no meetings are planned.

Equal Pay

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of the factors causing the gender pay gap.

Barbara Follett: The gender pay gap is complex and arises from many factors such as differences in men and women's labour market experience (e.g. as a result of women taking time out to look after children), skills and education, occupational segregation, lack of quality part-time work (especially for women returning from maternity leave), historical culture, gender stereotyping and discrimination.
	In 2004, the Prime Minister set up the Women and Work Commission to conduct an independent review to examine the causes of the gender pay gap. The Commission looked at the range of published research and other evidence on this issue, and produced a report in February 2006 containing 40 recommendations to tackle the gender pay gap. The Government accepted, or partially accepted, all but one of the recommendations aimed at Government and we are making good progress in implementing them.
	Closing the pay gap between men and women is a key priority for the Government, as I made clear in my statement to Parliament on Priorities for the Ministers for Women. Closing the pay gap is now one of the indicators in the new Equalities Public Service Agreement.

Government Equalities Office

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women what estimate she has made of the proportion of the work of the Government Equalities Office on gender discrimination which concerns discrimination against men.

Barbara Follett: Only a small proportion of the work of the Government Equalities Office focuses specifically on discrimination against men, because in tackling those inequalities that persist in society, women are still affected more than men as can be seen in areas such as the pay gap and levels of domestic and sexual violence, which I have highlighted as priority areas for action.
	However the office's work on sex discrimination legislation, applies equally to women and men, and the introduction of the Gender Equality Duty earlier this year will ensure that all public authorities take account of the different needs of women and men in developing policy and in service provision. Work within the office towards a Single Equalities Act, aims to create a clearer and more streamlined discrimination legislative framework which produces better outcomes for those who currently experience disadvantage, irrespective of sex.
	It is therefore not possible to make a specific percentage estimate of time spent addressing discrimination against men. But understanding more about the inequalities and discrimination facing men is important to achieving gender equality and for that reason, Ministers for Women are hosting a round table in December on this subject, to raise awareness of, and gain a better understanding of the specific challenges and barriers facing men. The event will inform thinking on ways that both sexes, working together, can improve the balance of work and family life to, and to better understand attitudes towards sexual exploitation and violence.

Prostitution: Foreign Workers

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women what estimate she has made of the proportion of non-British sex workers who have been  (a) trafficked and  (b) subject to coercion.  [Official Report, 18 December 2007, Vol. 469, c. 2MC.]

Barbara Follett: Ten years ago 85 per cent. of women in brothels were UK citizens now 85 per cent. are from outside the UK. Estimates suggest that at any one time in 2003 there were approximately 4,000 victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK.
	No research has been undertaken which would provide evidence or provide a basis for estimates on the proportion of non-British sex workers who have been  (a) trafficked and  (b) subject to coercion.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Consultants: Contracts

Charles Walker: To ask the Leader of the House what contracts her Office has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts are for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecast total value is of each contract.

Helen Goodman: None.

Departmental Flexible Working

Andrew Selous: To ask the Leader of the House how many staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours in her Office.

Helen Goodman: No member of staff has yet requested to work flexible hours.
	This office endeavours to provide all staff with an effective work life balance.

Departmental Manpower

Charles Walker: To ask the Leader of the House what the full-time equivalent headcount in her Office is; what the forecast full-time equivalent headcount for her office is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Nineteen full-time employees. This includes three members of staff who support me in my responsibilities as Minister for Women and Equalities; and two special advisers. We have not made any work force forward projections, but are not anticipating any changes to staffing numbers.

Members: Allowances

Francis Maude: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  what the level of the communications allowance for hon. Members is in 2007-08; and what it will be in 2008-09;
	(2)  whether the communications allowance may be spent on payments to political parties for the provision of communications services on  (a) commercial and  (b) non-commercial terms;
	(3)  what her definition is of campaigning with regard to the prohibition of the use of communications allowance for campaigning;
	(4)  what the maximum financial amount in cash terms is in 2007-08 that can be transferred to communications allowance from  (a) incidental expenses provision and  (b) staffing allowance;
	(5)  what guidance has been published on using party political descriptions in literature financed under the communications allowance.

Helen Goodman: The communications allowance was introduced on 1 April 2007. It was set by the House at a level of £10,000 p.a. It will increase in April each year by the annual rise in the retail price index as at 31 December of the preceding year.
	The purpose of the allowance is to meet the cost of proactive communications by Members to their constituents. The rules and guidance in the Green Book, as approved by the Members Estimate Committee are set out and published in July 2007.
	Members must avoid any arrangement which may give rise to an accusation that public money is being diverted for the benefit of a political organisation. Campaigning, which is prohibited by the rules, is understood to be the use of parliamentary funds to seek to gain a party or sectional electoral advantage.
	The allowance rules in the Green Book permit Members the flexibility to transfer money between allowances so that they can use the available funds to meet the needs of their constituents more efficiently. Members may transfer up to 10 per cent. from their staffing allowance and 100 per cent. from their incidental expenses provision to the communications allowance.
	The Members Estimate Committee undertook to consider and where necessary review the rules and guidance in the light of experience.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Michael Penning: To ask the Leader of the House who the special advisers in her Office are; what expertise each has; and what the cost of employing them was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House what the office costs for her Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Helen Goodman: The annual list of special advisers will be published shortly. I will write to the hon. Members once the information is publicly available.
	There are two full-time civil servants who work in support of the special advisers in both my roles as Deputy Leader of the House and Minister for Women and Equality.

Parliamentary Questions

John Hemming: To ask the Leader of the House if she will bring forward proposals to prevent questions from falling as a result of the Prorogation.

Helen Goodman: Prorogation signifies the formal end of a Session and brings to an end almost all parliamentary business. There are no plans to change the procedure for PQ answers at Prorogation which were reviewed and improved as recently as 2004. In the new Session Members are free, if they so wish, to re-table questions which have fallen at Prorogation.
	As the hon. Member is aware, the Procedure Committee is currently conducting an inquiry into written parliamentary questions which will consider the procedures, scope and rules governing the answering of parliamentary questions.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Foreign Workers

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the change in the proportion of foreign workers in the UK labour force since 1997.

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the change in the proportion of foreign workers in the UK labour force since 1997; and what assessment he has made of the effects of that trend.

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the change in the proportion of foreign workers in the UK labour force since 1997.

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the change in the proportion of foreign workers in the UK labour force since 1997 and what assessment he has made of the effects of that trend.

Caroline Flint: According to the latest estimates available about 7-8 per cent. of those in employment are foreign nationals. In 1997 the figure was 3-4 per cent.
	The UK labour market remains very buoyant. As reported last week, employment is at record levels, employment rates for UK nationals are higher than they were in 1997 and over 660,000 vacancies exist in the economy.

Debt Advice and Assistance

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to provide advice and assistance to benefit claimants on matters relating to debt.

James Plaskitt: The now let's talk money campaign is raising awareness among the financially excluded (including benefit claimants) of the availability of free face-to-face financial/debt advice, the availability of more affordable credit and the value of opening a bank account.
	Jobcentre Plus is fully joined up with the now let's talk money campaign and advisers are sign-posting customers to free face-to-face money advice (offered by Citizens Advice and other money advice organisations) and affordable credit (offered by credit unions and community development finance institutions) where this is appropriate.

Child Poverty

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the methodology his Department uses for estimating levels of child poverty.

Caroline Flint: The central measure of the three indicators we use is relative low income. This counts those children living in households below 60 per cent. of contemporary median equivalised household income, before housing costs. Equivalisation takes account of the fact that larger families need more money to maintain the same standard of living as smaller ones. Our data come from the Family Resources Survey.

Online Benefits Applications: Operating Systems

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to enable online benefits applications to be made using personal computers with any operating system.

Mike O'Brien: Over 90 per cent. of citizens can access online benefits applications through a pilot system developed using Windows technology. A review of the pilot is due to complete by the end of the year, which will identify lessons learnt and determine how the system may be made available to more citizens.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of the winter fuel allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Since its introduction the value of the winter fuel payment has increased substantially. When it was introduced—for the winter of 1997-98—every household with someone over state pension age who was receiving certain qualifying benefits got a payment of £20 to help with their winter fuel costs. Now, households including someone age 60 to 79 are entitled to a payment of £200, with households including someone aged 80 or over entitled to £300. This represents a significant contribution to the costs of winter fuel for older people, and should re-assure them that they can afford to keep warm through the winter months.

Pay: Gender Inequalities

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government are taking on gender inequalities in pay.

Barbara Follett: The Government are implementing the Women and Work Commission recommendations for narrowing the gender pay gap. To galvanise this, closing the pay gap is now one of the indicators in the new Equalities Public Service Agreement. And we are considering suggestions made by people responding to our consultation on the Equality Bill about how the law on equal pay could be strengthened.

Job Opportunities: Benefit Recipients

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to encourage employers to provide job opportunities for people on benefits.

Caroline Flint: Jobcentre plus already works with 400,000 employers every year and takes over 10,000 new vacancies every working day.
	Local employment partnerships build on this success by providing employers with a premium service in return for a stronger than normal commitment to taking on jobless people.

Child Support Agency

John Heppell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what improvements in performance have been made as a result of the Child Support Agency's operational improvement plan.

James Plaskitt: The agency is half way through its three year operational improvement plan and is showing significant improvements in client service. Uncleared applications have been more than halved and stand at their lowest point for at least eight years.
	The agency is now assessing cases faster than ever; more than half of all new applications are now routinely cleared in less than six weeks.
	While these improvements are important and welcome, the real test is the difference made for children by collecting or arranging maintenance. Having established a platform of improved service, the focus for the remaining 18 months is enforcement.

State Pension: Women

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government is taking to ensure that more women are entitled to a full state pension.

Mike O'Brien: As a result of the Pensions Act 2007 the proportion of women reaching state pension age entitled to a full basic state pension is expected to rise to around three quarters in 2010 and to over 90 per cent. in 2025. Almost half a million extra women over state pension age are expected to be entitled to a full basic state pension in 2025 as a result of reform.

Children: Maintenance

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unrecovered child maintenance payments are outstanding in each constituency in Scotland; and how much in each case is not expected to be recovered.

James Plaskitt: holding answer on 12 November 2007
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 19 November 2007:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unrecovered child maintenance payments are outstanding in each constituency in Scotland; and how much in each case is not expected to be recovered.
	The Agency does not hold information in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the attached table which sets out the total amount of debt owed by non-resident parents in cases processed on the new system (CS2). The Agency is not able to estimate debt on old rules cases processed on the old system (CSCS) at parliamentary constituency level. Although the Agency does estimate the collectability of debt, this estimate is based on past performance and on an Agency wide sample exercise which does not take account of geographic or regional variation. Therefore the Agency is not able to provide a geographic analysis of the collectability of debt.
	This debt is owed by non-resident parents as a result of their failure to meet their responsibilities to their children. Debt recovery is very much dependent on the willingness of non-resident parents to co-operate with the Agency. Some non-resident parents do their utmost to avoid their responsibilities—for example by moving house or changing jobs whenever the Agency tries to collect maintenance.
	The Agency is working hard to collect more maintenance arrears and benefit more children. Measures introduced under the Agency's Operational Improvement Plan, such as enabling credit and debit card payments and employing the services of external debt collection agencies are helping the Agency in this aim.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Total debt on cases processed by CS2 by parliamentary constituencies in Scotland: September 2007 
			  Parliamentary constituency  Total debt (£) 
			 Aberdeen, North 2,859,000 
			 Aberdeen, South 1,655,000 
			 Airdrie and Shotts 2,121,000 
			 Angus 2,514,000 
			 Argyll and Bute 1,650,000 
			 Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock 2,418,000 
			 Banff and Buchan 3,029,000 
			 Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk 1,958,000 
			 Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 1,291,000 
			 Central Ayrshire 2,158,000 
			 Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill 2,282,000 
			 Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch, East 1,831,000 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 2,736,000 
			 Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale 1,907,000 
			 Dundee, East 2,333,000 
			 Dundee, West 2,445,000 
			 Dunfermline and West Fife 2,412,000 
			 East Dunbartonshire 439,000 
			 East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow 1,602,000 
			 East Lothian 2,110,000 
			 East Renfrewshire 1,090,000 
			 Edinburgh, East 1,607,000 
			 Edinburgh, North and Leith 1,440,000 
			 Edinburgh, South 865,000 
			 Edinburgh, South West 1,689,000 
			 Edinburgh, West 1,219,000 
			 Falkirk 2,988,000 
			 Glasgow, Central 1,694,000 
			 Glasgow, East 2,327,000 
			 Glasgow, North 1,048,000 
			 Glasgow, North East 2,225,000 
			 Glasgow, North West 1,772,000 
			 Glasgow, South 1,308,000 
			 Glasgow, South West 1,995,000 
			 Glenrothes 3,157,000 
			 Gordon 1,461,000 
			 Inverclyde 2,244,000 
			 Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey 2,213,000 
			 Kilmarnock and Loudoun 2,842,000 
			 Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 2,737,000 
			 Lanark and Hamilton, East 1,942,000 
			 Linlithgow and East Falkirk 2,701,000 
			 Livingston 3,421,000 
			 Midlothian 2,004,000 
			 Moray 2,071,000 
			 Motherwell and Wishaw 2,357,000 
			 Na h-Eileanan an Iar 355,000 
			 North Ayrshire and Arran 2,310,000 
			 North East Fife 1,422,000 
			 Ochil and South Perthshire 2,004,000 
			 Orkney and Shetland 915,000 
			 Paisley and Renfrewshire, North 1,488,000 
			 Paisley and Renfrewshire, South 1,776,000 
			 Perth and North Perthshire 2,179,000 
			 Ross, Skye and Lochaber 1,114,000 
			 Rutherglen and Hamilton, West 2,392,000 
			 Stirling 1,554,000 
			 West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine 1,228,000 
			 West Dunbartonshire 2,295,000 
			  Notes: 1. Includes total debt on both new and old rules cases processed on CS2 system only. 2. Values rounded to the nearest £1,000. 3. Table relates to value of total debt on cases where non resident parent lives in Scotland. 4. Cases have been allocated to a parliamentary constituency through matching the postcode of the non-resident parent against the Office for National Statistics postcode directory. There will be a small number of cases where the postcode is unknown or not recorded and therefore can not be allocated to a parliamentary constituency.

Credit Unions

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to support the work of credit unions.

James Plaskitt: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Ms Clark).

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many statutory instruments were laid before Parliament by his Department between 2 November 2005 and 1 July 2007.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 749W, to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Alan Duncan).

Incapacity Benefit: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's report on those with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis when claiming incapacity benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The report of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is about the way chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis is treated within the NHS.
	Entitlement to incapacity benefit does not depend on a person's diagnosis or on the treatment they are receiving. It depends on the effect their condition has on their ability to work. This is a fairer way than using criteria based on specific conditions or diagnoses, because the same condition can have very different disabling effects in different people.
	The Department recognises chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis as a real and potentially very disabling condition. Each person claiming benefit is assessed on the basis of the way the condition affects them as an individual. The personal capability assessment for deciding entitlement to incapacity benefit looks at a range of activities relevant to work, and assesses whether or not a person can carry them out reliably and safely, over a period of time.
	As part of our welfare reform proposals we have reviewed and revised the personal capability assessment to ensure it is a robust and accurate assessment of limited capability for work. The revised assessment will be used to assess people claiming the new employment and support allowance, which will replace incapacity benefit for new customers.

Local Housing Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been allocated for the provision of information and advice for recipients of housing benefit under local housing allowance on its introduction in 2008.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities have together been provided with £62 million (£59 million of this to local authorities) to support the implementation of the local housing allowance. Part of this funding will deliver a comprehensive communications strategy which will provide information and advice to customers who may be eligible for the local housing allowance.

Local Housing Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received housing benefit under local housing allowance in the nine Pathfinder areas.

James Plaskitt: As at August 2007, the total number of households receiving local housing allowance across the nine Pathfinder areas was around 54,000.

Local Housing Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 11 October 2007,  Official Report, column 741W, on local housing allowance, how much of the funding provided to support the implementation of the local housing allowance is allocated for the provision of advice.

James Plaskitt: Local authorities have been provided with £59 million to support the implementation of the local housing allowance, and the freedom to allocate that funding according to local needs. The Department for Work and Pensions has not prescribed to local authorities how this funding is to be allocated.

Pension Credit

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many men under the age of 65 years who are claiming pension credit have voluntarily switched from claiming jobseeker's allowance after attaining the age of 60 years.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not available in the form requested.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council of England: Grants

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been granted by the Arts Council for England to  (a) opera,  (b) ballet and  (c) brass bands in the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The Arts Council has provided opera with the following grant in aid:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 27,452,000 
			 2003-04 28,990,000 
			 2004-05 31,414,000 
			 2005-06 32,800,000 
			 2006-07 35,258,000 
		
	
	The Royal Opera House has received grant in aid for both ballet and opera:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 21,115 
			 2003-04 21,748 
			 2004-05 23,111 
			 2005-06 24,866 
			 2006-07 25,550 
		
	
	The Arts Council has provided ballet with the following grant in aid:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 12,794,000 
			 2003-04 13,417,000 
			 2004-05 13,883,000 
			 2005-06 14,486,000 
			 2006-07 15,722,000 
		
	
	The Arts Council has provided brass bands with the following grant in aid:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 27,000 
			 2003-04 28,000 
			 2004-05 31,000 
			 2005-06 32,000 
			 2006-07 22,000

Arts: Apprentices

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many individuals were given creative apprenticeships in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 15 November 2007
	Creative and Cultural Skills (CCS) is the Sector Skills Council for advertising, craft, cultural heritage, design, music and the literary, visual and performing arts. It has developed the first ever industry-backed, Government approved apprenticeships for the sector.
	53 placements have already been made as a pilot under this scheme since January 2007 and this is likely to rise to 60 from January next year. This scheme for Creative Apprenticeships will be rolled out nationally from September 2008.

British Library: Finance

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding was allocated by his Department to the British Library in each of the last six years; and what plans he has for future funding of the Library.

Margaret Hodge: The following funding has been allocated to the British Library in the period 2002-08:
	
		
			  £000 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Resource 83,521 82,021 83,021 88,496 90,517 92,339 
			 Capital 1,572 4,072 7,072 12,072 12,072 12,072 
			 Total 85,093 86,093 90,093 100,568 102,589 104,411 
		
	
	As part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) the British Library has received an inflation-proof resource settlement for 2008-11 and a sustained level of capital funding.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Resource 94,832 97,393 100,022 
			 Capital 12,072 12,072 12,072 
			 Total 106,904 109,465 112,094

Broadcasting: Licensing

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) name,  (b) licence area and  (c) character of service is of each of the cable and satellite television channel stations licensed for broadcast in the UK.

James Purnell: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), as independent regulator for the communications sector. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Citizens' Juries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many citizens' juries were arranged for his Department for each year between 1997 and June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Margaret Hodge: My Department has not arranged any citizens' juries since June 1997. No records were kept prior to this date.

Community Club Development Fund: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department gave to the Community Club Development Fund in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Community Club Development Programme funding of £100 million has been available through Sport England during the five years to March 2008, broken down as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2003-04 20 
			 2004-05 20 
			 2005-06 20 
			 2006-07 20 
			 2007-08 20

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that English wine is served exclusively or at the request of guests at meals, parties and receptions hosted by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: English wine is available upon request by the organisers of parties or receptions at DCMS.

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people aged  (a) 30 to 39,  (b) 40 to 49,  (c) 50 to 59 and  (d) 60 to 69 years have (i) applied for jobs, (ii) received interviews and (iii) gained (A) temporary and (B) permanent jobs in his Department in 2007.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in the year to date (i) 236 people applied for jobs, (ii) 35 of those received interviews, (iii) (A) one gained a temporary appointment and (B) five were appointed permanently. The age related information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what percentage of people over 65 he estimates will qualify for assistance in switching over to digital television in  (a) Eastbourne,  (b) East Sussex and  (c) England.

James Purnell: The information is not available in the form requested.
	A household will qualify for assistance from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme if one person is aged 75 or over, is entitled to disability living allowance or attendance allowance (or equivalent benefits under the industrial injuries or war pensions scheme) or is registered blind or partially sighted.
	Information on the number of households where the qualifying person is aged between 60 and 75 in Eastbourne, East Sussex and England is in the table.
	
		
			  Area  Number of households 
			 Eastbourne 1,100 
			 East Sussex 7,500 
			 England 830,000 
			  Notes:  1. Eligibility for help from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be by benefit unit rather than the whole household definition used by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Office to forecast future household growth. The scheme definition of eligible households mirrors Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) definition of a benefit unit: a couple (which from December 2005 includes gay couples) and any dependent children. It excludes adults deemed to be non-dependents who, if eligible, will be able to claim assistance from the help scheme in their own right.  2. The estimates use data from the Department for Work and Pensions Client Group Analysis for November 2005 adjusted by changes in future household and benefits growth for the period from 2005 until the date switchover takes place in the relevant area.  3. The figures do not include households where the person qualifying for help under the scheme is registered blind or registered partially sighted who qualify on grounds of registration rather than on grounds of age or entitlement to disability benefits.  4. The figures for Eastbourne are for the Eastbourne parliamentary constituency.

Flags

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reasons his Department decided to hold a consultation on altering its guidance on the flying of the Union flag from UK Government buildings.

Margaret Hodge: The Department carried out a consultation on altering the current guidance on flying the Union flag from UK Government buildings in line with a commitment in the Governance of Britain Green Paper.
	Although, the relevant guidance only applies to Government buildings, the impact of the changes is likely to affect other public organisations, because many choose to follow the Government lead. The consultation seeks views on giving Government Departments more flexibility on when to fly the Union flag.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) budget and  (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested can be found in the DCMS publication DCMS Public Bodies Directory 2007, copies of which are also available from the Library and online at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4BEEOODC-62FF-4F5C-8012-E3B82B915112/0/DCMSPublicBodies Directory20072.pdf

Press Complaints Commission

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to improve the independence of the Press Complaints Commission.

Margaret Hodge: The Government supports self-regulation of the press and believes that there is no case for Government intervention. Accordingly, the Press Complaints Commission already is a body which is independent of Government.

Press Complaints Commission

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance his Department has given to the Press Complaints Commission on the definition of the public interest.

Margaret Hodge: We have offered no such guidance to the independent Press Complaints Commission (PCC). The definition the PCC use is published as part of the Editors' Code of Practice.

Press Complaints Commission: Standards

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the provisions of the Code of the Press Complaints Commission on harassment and privacy; and if he will seek a strengthening of the provisions of the Code in those respects.

Margaret Hodge: Given our commitment to self-regulation it is for the industry to take the appropriate decisions. Amendments to the Code are a matter for the independent Press Complaints Commission and the Committee dealing with the Editors' Code of Practice. However, both harassment and invasions of privacy are already forbidden by the Code, unless they can be justified in the public interest.

Press: Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will assess the adequacy of arrangement for regulation of the press.

Margaret Hodge: We maintain a watching brief on this issue and are generally satisfied that the Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice is both adequate and appropriate for its purpose.

Sports: School Leavers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of young people who cease participating in sport after leaving school.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows the percentage of people in each age category, who have participated in at least one active sport in the last four weeks. Active sport is defined as all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and well-being, forming social relationships, or obtaining results in competition at all levels.
	
		
			  Age  (years)  Percentage participating 
			 11-15 (overall) 95 
			 11-15 (outside school) 88.7 
			 16 82.5 
			 17-18 80.0 
			 19 plus 52.3 
		
	
	To tackle the drop off in activity levels we have a public service agreement, to increase sports participation in adults aged 16 plus among priority groups by 3 per cent., by 2008. The priority groups include women, people with a physical or mental disability, people from black or minority ethnic groups, and people in socio-economic groups C2, D or E.
	The recently announced additional funding of £100 million for school sports will help target the 16-19 age group (including those in school and further education), enabling them to access three hours of sporting opportunities.

Tickets

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the impact of ticket pricing policy and arrangements in the event entertainment industry on access to cultural events; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) published a report on ticket agents in the UK in 2008. OFT examined consumer concerns around pricing and found the main issue for consumers was information about prices. The OFT has been in discussion with the Committee on Advertising Practices on reforms to its code, and is waiting to see the impact of future legislation and changes to the code, before considering whether further action is needed.
	The DCMS survey, Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport, Annual Report 2005-06, looked at attendance and participation in cultural and sporting activities. Only 6 per cent. of those questioned cited cost as the main barrier to visiting an arts event. DCMS plans to carry out a more detailed review of this issue as part of its next report on the Taking Part survey.

Video Games

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has plans to include upgrades for video games in a review of the classification of video games.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 13 November 2007
	Under the current classification system, a producer's upgrade or addition to a video game means that it is a different product from a previously classified game. It therefore has to be classified separately.
	Part of the review being led by Tanya Byron is to assess the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures to help prevent children from being exposed to harmful or inappropriate material in video games and on the internet, and to make recommendations for improvements or additional action. The whole classification system for video games is being covered by this review.

Video Games

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what factors are taken into account before a video game is released for sale.

Margaret Hodge: Producers first test their game using the voluntary Pan European Games Information classification system. This reveals whether it must be submitted to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), under the terms of the Video Recordings Act.
	It must go to the BBFC if it contains live action (rather than entirely computer generated images) or material that is grossly violent or sexual.
	If submitted to the BBFC, it is considered and classified against the same publicly available guidelines (these can be found at www.bbfc.co.uk <http://www.bbfc.co.uk>) used for cinema films or DVDs.

Video Games: Violence

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations his Department received about the link between violent video games and the actions of their users in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: Records of correspondence are only available for the last three years. Since December 2004, we have received no representations from groups concerned about a link between video games featuring violence and violent behaviour in real life. However, we have received correspondence from some individuals—often through their constituency Member of Parliament—who are concerned about a possible link.
	In December 2004, we received two letters. In 2005, we received 12 letters. In 2006, we received 10 letters. And so far in 2007, we have received 16 letters, eight of which related to the announcement of the review led by Dr. Tanya Byron. This review is considering the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures to help prevent children from being exposed to harmful or inappropriate material in video games and on the internet, and to make recommendations for improvements or additional action.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of mechanisms to co-ordinate international reconstruction and development work in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) is the overarching body for monitoring political and development progress in Afghanistan. It was established to monitor the implementation of the Afghanistan Compact and provide a forum to provide direction on major policy issues or blockages (e.g. problems with coordination or financing). It meets four times a year and is attended by heads of mission and chaired by the UN Special representative and the Afghan President's senior economic adviser (Professor Nadiri). The latest, sixth JCMB met on 3 October and focused on regional economic cooperation. In addition, various groups meet to co-ordinate international reconstruction and development work in Afghanistan:
	Eight consultative groups (sector level) and 22 working groups (line ministry level); all comprising Afghan Government and international community representatives who co-ordinate and monitor the implementation of the Compact, contribute to budget formulation and monitor aid effectiveness within their sector.
	The External Advisory Group meets every month and is a forum for donors to discuss progress on the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS). Chaired by DFID since August 2006, it is a tool for pushing the government on ANDS issues and preserving donor buy-in.
	The Policy Action Group was set up by General Richards and President Karzai as a short-term response to security difficulties in the South. It is chaired by Minister of Education Hanif Atmar and UNAMA. There are four pillars: Security, Information, Reconstruction and Development and International.
	World Bank-led donor meetings are meetings of donors only, with no Government representation, to discuss Afghanistan national development strategy issues. These meetings are usually focused on economic issues.
	DFID has made no formal assessment of the effectiveness of these mechanisms to co-ordinate international reconstruction and development. However, we do believe that they have been successful in moving forward progress against the benchmarks of the Afghanistan Compact. The UN in Afghanistan has the potential to play a stronger role in donor co-ordination. DFID supports this.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari's recent meeting with National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi; what progress has been made towards securing her release; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in his statement on 14 November:
	"We welcome the report of Ambassador Gambari to the UN Security Council...The signs of progress are welcome but...the Burmese regime has taken small steps that now need to be followed by larger steps."
	The full text of the statement is available on the FCO website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid= 1007029391638&a=KArticle&aid=1194715131090.
	The UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari met with Aung San Suu Kyi for one hour on 8 November. Following this meeting Aung San Suu Kyi was able to deliver a message to the international community, welcoming the efforts of the UN in Burma and calling for a 'meaningful and time bound dialogue' with the regime.
	Aung San Suu Kyi and a Burmese government liaison officer, Aung Kyi, have held preliminary discussions on the possibility of future talks and she has been allowed to meet some of her National League of Democracy colleagues. To help facilitate a dialogue, we hope that the restrictions placed upon Aung San Suu Kyi will be lifted.

Bolivia: Overseas Residence

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the number of British citizens who reside in the Santa Cruz province of Bolivia;
	(2)  which provinces in Bolivia have an honorary British Consul;
	(3)  on what date an honorary British Consul was appointed to the province of Santa Cruz in Bolivia.

Kim Howells: Honorary Consuls are appointed in areas of a country where there is a community of registered British nationals, British interests and/or a large number of British nationals visiting. Their role, for which they do not receive a salary but are paid an honorarium, is to provide assistance on a range of issues, primarily consular matters.
	There are currently 48 registered British nationals in the province of Santa Cruz in Bolivia; the largest number of registered British nationals in Bolivia outside of the province of La Paz. It is the only province in Bolivia with a British Honorary Consul. The first British Honorary Consul to the province of Santa Cruz was appointed in 1977. The present incumbent was appointed in May 2007 when his predecessor, who had been in the role since 1999, relinquished his duties on departure from the country.

British Nationality

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has a procedure for recording and collating incidents and complaints made by British citizens who have taken part in overseas trips organised by gap year companies.

Meg Munn: Our official complaints procedure is for complaints about consular services provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We do not record or collate incidents and complaints from British citizens relating to gap year companies. We do not have a regulatory role in this industry, but we do have links to it. The Year Out Group is one of the many travel industry companies who are members of our Consular Stakeholder Panel. As part of our wider "Know Before You Go" campaign, which promotes safer travel to British citizens, we have produced a website specifically aimed at gap year travellers;
	www.gogapyear.com.

Burma: Detainees

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the numbers of those detained by the Burmese government following recent protests  (a) who have been released and  (b) who remain in detention.

Meg Munn: Official Burmese figures indicate close to 3,000 arrests during and after the recent protests, with 91 individuals still in detention. We believe, however, that these numbers are underestimated. The number of arrests is likely to be around 3,500. We believe the number still detained to be near to 1,000, although without independent access to prisons, it is impossible to give a firm figure.
	We remain in close touch with organisations and individuals who, over time, hope to build a clearer picture of the numbers involved. Given the regime's tight control and manipulation of information however, it may never be possible to establish verified and independent evidence.

Charter of Fundamental Rights (EU): Deportation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made in the Council of Europe on revision by international instrument of Article 3 of the European Charter of Human Rights as it applies in deportation cases.

Jim Murphy: As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out when she wrote to the Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights on 3 August, the Government are not seeking to amend the text of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. No such representations have therefore been made.

China Task Force

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who chairs the China Task Force; on what dates it met in 2007; and what was discussed at each meeting.

Kim Howells: The China Task Force is now chaired by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, having previously been chaired by my right hon. Friend the former Deputy Prime Minister the Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott). The last two meetings were on 22 February 2007 and 13 September 2007. On 22 February the Task Force discussed the role of the China Britain Business Council, Shanghai Expo 2010, possible UK-China co-operation in building sustainable cities and reviewed progress in UK-China relations as a whole. On 13 September the Task Force discussed preparations for the next UK-China summit and how the Task Force could best focus its future efforts in support of UK-China bilateral engagement.

China Task Force

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the China Task Force has taken to further its stated goals in the areas of  (a) science and technology,  (b) trade and investment,  (c) education and  (d) sustainable environment/development.

Kim Howells: Key achievements arising from China Task Force recommendations have included greater co-operation across five key trade areas (information and communications technology, water, financial services, energy, health); an increased number of exchanges between UK and Chinese universities following the introduction of a scholarships scheme; the introduction of annual UK-China Education summits; the signing of a Sustainable Development Dialogue between the UK and China; and the development of a UK-China Working Group on Climate Change. During 2007 the Task Force produced a paper on Sustainable Cities as a basis for further co-operation in this area, which was presented to the Chinese in April. The Task Force is currently playing an active role in advising Government on preparations for the next UK-China summit, which will focus on the themes of trade and investment; education and research; climate change and sustainable development; and international development.

China: Arms Trade

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the merits of lifting the ban on UK defence exports to China.

Meg Munn: UK defence exports to China are governed by the EU China arms embargo and the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. The European Council in December 2003 agreed to launch a review of the embargo, which is still underway.

Cyprus: Hotels

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in the refurbishment of Ledra Palace Hotel, Nicosia; what the estimated cost is; who is paying for it; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I have been asked to reply.
	Refurbishment of the Ledra Palace Hotel is currently under way. Work on the first floor of the building is complete, and refurbishment will start shortly on the second floor and the roof. The United Nations Forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP) have said they are content with the work to date. The work is being carried out by the Republic of Cyprus in an arrangement with the United Nations; we do not have visibility of the associated costs, but there is no direct cost to the UK for this work.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the trial of Congolese army soldiers and employees of the company Anvil Mining accused of complicity in the massacre of civilians in the town of Kilwa; what representations he has made to the Democratic Republic of Congo Government on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We have received reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Government, the UN, Anvil Mining and civil society on the tragic events which took place in Kilwa in 2004. We have remained in contact with non-governmental organisations and UN staff monitoring the subsequent trial.
	In conjunction with our international partners, we expressed our concern to the Congolese Government after the events in Kilwa. We have urged the Congolese authorities to ensure a transparent and independent investigation and a fair trial for those accused of involvement in the killing of civilians, as part of our regular dialogue encouraging an end to impunity in DRC.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to encourage the implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meg Munn: In conjunction with EU partners, the UK is active in supporting the EU guidelines. We have condemned threats and attacks against human rights defenders, made representations to the Congolese Government, including at presidential level, and issued public statements where human rights defenders are at risk. The UK provides financial and visible public support to Congolese non-governmental organisations (NGO) and has contributed to an NGO-administered scheme which helps provide immediate protection for human rights defenders at risk.
	On 31 July the Presidency of the EU issued a declaration calling on the Congolese authorities to fulfil their obligations on human rights. It urged justice for the murderers of the human rights defenders Pascal Kabungulu and Serge Maheshe, and for the trial concerning Mr. Kabungulu's murder to resume.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Trade

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the work of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Government's commission reviewing natural resource contracts in that country.

Meg Munn: Reviewing contracts on the exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was necessary to ensure that agreements, signed under previous administrations, allow the Congolese state to receive appropriate revenue from the resources on its territory. We supported the creation of the commission, and have urged the DRC Government to allow it to work independently, and give its recommendations thorough consideration.
	There have been some allegations from civil society that the commission's work has not been sufficiently transparent. We have encouraged the commission and the government to be as transparent as possible and await the commission's final report with interest.

Departmental Flexible Working

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours (i) in his Department and (ii) the executive agencies for which his Department is responsible.

Meg Munn: All Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff are entitled to apply to work flexibly. The Department is committed to promoting flexible working both at home and overseas. The FCO board of management has recently appointed one of its members as its first champion for flexible working. A growing number of staff at all levels, including senior managers, are working flexibly, whether part-time, job-sharing, working compressed hours or working from home. We are introducing new technology to enable staff to work remotely; and we have established a flexible working network to offer support and guidance to staff working flexibly and their managers. The FCO is a member of the Working Families organisation.
	The Department does not hold central records of flexible working arrangements. These are negotiated separately with individual line managers. At 1 October 2006 according to the annual civil service employment survey, we had 202 staff working part-time (including staff in FCO Services and Wilton Park), the FCO's Executive agencies.

Departmental Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants in his Department  (a) transferred to other Government Departments and  (b) left the civil service in each of the last five years.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Angela Eagle) gave to her on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 203-207W.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers". Copies of the "Model Contract" are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what opinion polls his Department has conducted of  (a) the public and  (b) staff since 27 June 2007; and what the (i) name of the firm employed to conduct the poll, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost to the public purse was in each case.

Meg Munn: Information on public opinion polls conducted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) including at its overseas posts is not held centrally. To collate this information would incur disproportionate cost. No staff opinion poll involving an external organisation has been conducted since 27 June 2007. The FCO occasionally surveys a small proportion of its staff about internal issues. These are conducted through in-house methods. The next all-staff survey involving an external consultant will take place in late November/December. An Investors in People health check survey will also be conducted later in November.

Dudley Ankerson

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Mr. Dudley Ankerson is employed within his Department.

Kim Howells: It is not our policy to release the names or personal details of Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff except to confirm details already published in official documents.

Entry Clearances

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people, including their dependants, from outside the EEA were given permission to  (a) enter and  (b) stay on in the UK in a visa category which could lead to them being granted the right to settle in each of the last five years; and how many of these permissions were in work-related categories.

Kim Howells: Although the information is not available in the format requested, the relevant statistics on immigration control are published in the 'Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom, 2006' Command Paper. Copies are available in the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	The following sections provide information on the reason for entry/stay in the UK for non-European Economic Area nationals and their dependents.
	Section 2 Passengers given leave to enter;
	Section 4 Decisions on applications for leave to remain; and
	Section 5 Grants of settlement.

EU Reform: Treaties

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the method of approval of the European Reform Treaty referred to in the Gracious Speech will be done by way of a specific clause being included on the face of the Bill that gives effect in UK law to the provisions of the Treaty.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 14 November 2007
	As with previous amending Treaties, such as the Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice Treaties, the Government will publish a Bill seeking Parliament's approval for the Reform Treaty to be given effect in UK law. If Parliament passes this Bill, that approval will enable the Government to ratify the Reform Treaty.

European Parliament: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has received on the location of the new offices in London for the European Parliament and European Commission.

Jim Murphy: There have been no discussions between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the European Parliament and European Commission regarding the location of new offices in London.
	The European Commission and the European Parliament currently have separate office premises in London. The leases on both buildings are set to end within 12-18 months. Therefore, the Commission and Parliament are currently considering whether to move into a suitable building together.
	The practice of sharing office premises exists in most member states.

European Union

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what items of EU branded material were purchased by his Department in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not purchased any EU branded material within the last 12 months.

European Union: Central Africa

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact he has had with his counterparts in  (a) Chad,  (b) the Central African Republic and  (c) Sudan on the EU mission to Chad and the Central African Republic; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Our high commissioner in Yaounde met with Chadian Foreign Minister, Ahmat Allami, during his visit to Chad in July 2007 and raised the planned deployment of a European Security Defence Policy (ESDP) force and a UN multi-dimensional mission to Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR). During subsequent visits by UK officials to Chad in September, October and November, the deployment of the ESDP force and UN mission have been further discussed with Chadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs representatives.
	UK officials also met the President, Prime Minister and other CAR government representatives in September and October 2007 and took the opportunity to discuss their views on the proposed deployment.
	The UK supports the deployment of the ESDP force to Chad and CAR to contribute to protecting refugees and displaced persons, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and contribute to protecting the UN operation. We continue to urge the Governments of Sudan, Chad and CAR to work to promote regional stability and ensure security along their common borders.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Green Paper on Constitutional Development produced by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; what the Government's policy is on the proposals for China's future role in Hong Kong's constitutional affairs; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The publication in July 2007 of the Green Paper on Constitutional Development, and the consultation exercise that followed, gave the people of Hong Kong an opportunity to express their views on the territory's future political development. It is now up to the Special Administrative Region government to take a lead in producing proposals around which consensus can gather.
	The People's Republic of China's role on constitutional reform is set out in the basic law and the subsequent interpretation of the basic law by the National People's Congress Standing Committee in April 2004. We expressed our concern at the time that the procedure set out in the interpretation appeared to erode the high degree of autonomy guaranteed to Hong Kong in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.
	Our position on Hong Kong's constitutional development is clear. We believe the people of Hong Kong have demonstrated both their political maturity and their desire for reform. We are convinced that the best way to safeguard Hong Kong's stability and prosperity is for it to advance to a system of universal suffrage, as soon as possible.

Iran: Money Laundering

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent statement by the Financial Action Task Force that the Islamic Republic of Iran's lack of a comprehensive anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism regime represents a significant vulnerability within the international financial system; and what international action the UK will be proposing on the matter.

Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK fully supports the work of the FATF on this matter and HM Treasury concurs with the FATF's assessment. The Treasury has therefore issued a notice to advise all UK businesses within the financial sector to be aware that there are significant deficiencies in Iran's AML/CFT regime. They should take into account this heightened risk and consider applying increased scrutiny and due diligence to transactions associated with Iran. The notice is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_108_07.cfm
	The UK will continue to work through the FATF to bring pressure to bear on Iran to address the identified deficiencies. The UK is also calling for action in the UN and EU to address international concerns over Iran's nuclear programme, including against some Iranian financial institutions.

Iran: Money Laundering

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has  (a) provided information to and  (b) received representations from British banks on the statement by the Financial Action Task Force that Iran's lack of a comprehensive anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism regime represents a significant vulnerability within the international financial system.

Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
	Following the Financial Action Task Force statement, HM Treasury issued an advisory notice to financial service firms on 12 October on the higher risk of money laundering and terrorist financing in transactions associated with Iran. The notice can be found on HM Treasury's public website at the following link:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_108_07.cfm
	HM Treasury has received no representations from British banks on the statement but has discussed the matter informally during general private sector meetings on money laundering and terrorist financing.

Iran: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the forthcoming report by the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy on the outcome of his discussions with Iran on its nuclear programme will be published; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: With respect to the Iran negotiations, we expect the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, to report on his contacts with Iran in the coming days. He is acting on behalf of the Foreign Ministers of the UK, France, Germany, Russia, China and the US—the E3+3. I will be discussing the handling of the report, including whether it should be published, with Dr. Solana and E3+3 colleagues.

Iraq Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many studies his Department has  (a) started and  (b) completed into the consequences of the Iraq war for his Department and lessons learnt; and if he will place copies in the Library.

Kim Howells: No study of this type has been carried out by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Our strategy on Iraq is kept under constant review with changes made in close consultation with our coalition partners. Since May 2003, there have also been four inquiries on aspects of our operations in Iraq carried out by the Intelligence and Security Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Lords Butler and Hutton, and many parliamentary debates.

Iraq: Resettlement

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what written guidance has been provided to British staff employed in the British embassies in  (a) Iraq,  (b) Egypt,  (c) Iran,  (d) Syria and  (e) Lebanon on the implementation of the Government's policy of assistance to locally-employed Iraqi staff; and if he will place copies in the Library.

David Miliband: We have drawn the attention of all regional posts to my written ministerial statements of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS and 30 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 30-33WS and included guidance on implementing the scheme. Posts will refer all inquirers to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, the dedicated phone lines that have been established, or the Iraq Locally Engaged Staff Scheme team in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	I will arrange for a copy of the guidance to be placed in the Library of the House.

Japan: Dolphins

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Japan about the slaughter of dolphins by Japanese fishermen; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: There have been no recent discussions between my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and Japanese Ministers on this issue. However, at this year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in May 2007 the UK once again highlighted our concerns over Japan's small cetacean (dolphins and porpoises) hunts.
	The UK recognises with deep concern that the protection and conservation of small cetaceans is very limited. Small cetaceans continue to be hunted in Japan and many other parts of the world, often at unsustainable levels. We believe that the IWC should take a strong stance in favour of the protection of small cetaceans and the UK will continue to ask Japan for assurances that legislation regulating these hunts will be improved and enforced.

Pakistan: Violence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government has taken to protect British citizens and officials in Pakistan from the recent violence.

Kim Howells: We take a close concern in the safety of our citizens abroad and regularly discuss with the Pakistani authorities the protection of British nationals, including our officials in Pakistan. Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice for Pakistan is regularly updated. Our diplomatic missions in Pakistan are monitoring developments closely, keeping staff and the community advised and reviewing and updating their contingency plans. British residents and visitors are being encouraged to register with our missions. All this is prudent. To date, however, foreign nationals have been largely unaffected by the political situation.

Peacekeeping Operations: Private Sector

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures the Government follow to ensure that private military security companies it employs comply with UK and EU law on the procurement of military equipment; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Private military security companies contracted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) need to meet stringent and transparent procurement requirements in line with public procurement guidelines. Military equipment for use on FCO contracts can only be procured with the prior written agreement of the FCO and is conditional upon the end user providing an appropriate end-user certificate and obtaining an export licence.
	Issue of the licence confirms that the exporter and end user(s) have satisfied all the requirements necessary to comply with UK and EU law.

Rwanda: Armed Conflict

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK has made to the government of Rwanda in relation to the conflict between Congolese armed forces and troops of the dissident general Laurent Nkunda.

Meg Munn: We have consistently urged the Rwandan government to make clear their disassociation from Laurent Nkunda and to tone down any rhetoric in support of him, in the interest of stabilising the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, when meeting President Kagame in October 2007, noted that Rwanda must continue to play a constructive role in creating lasting peace and security in the Great Lakes region. This message has been reinforced at official level many times over the last few months.

Sierra Leone: Presidents

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the newly appointed President of Sierra Leone.

Meg Munn: Our high commissioner in Freetown and other senior members of the UK country team in Sierra Leone have met President Koroma on several occasions since his appointment to discuss the full range of bilateral relations, development assistance, and regional and international issues.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) logistical and  (b) financial support the Government will contribute to the AU-UN hybrid mission in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We are providing advice and support through a Brigadier who will deploy soon as Chief of Staff to the African Union (AU)/UN hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) Force Commander Agwai, and through UK military staff in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York. We continue to pay for troop rotations to the AU mission in Sudan, which will become part of the UNAMID force. Our financial support to the UNAMID mission will be through our assessed contributions to the UN.

Uganda: Commonwealth Meeting

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UK objectives for the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Uganda.

Kim Howells: holding answer 15 November 2007
	 My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary plans to submit a written ministerial statement to the House on UK objectives before the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting begins on 23 November.

Uganda: Human Rights

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Ugandan Government about the time taken to publish its investigation into reports that the Ugandan Army in Karamoja province has engaged in the extra-judicial killing of children and other civilians.

Meg Munn: We continue to encourage the Government of Uganda to publish the report. This issue was most recently raised by our high commission in Kampala, with other members of the Partners for Democracy and Governance group, on 24 October 2007.

Uganda: Human Rights

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Ugandan government about ensuring that the disarmament process across the Karamoja region is carried out in a way which guarantees protection of civilians, especially children.

Meg Munn: We continue to raise our concerns with the Ugandan government about the forced disarmament programme in Karamoja, including the impact on children. We continue to press for a peaceful and voluntary disarmament process across the Karamoja region that involves all stakeholders, respects human rights and protects the civilian population. Our high commission in Kampala, with other members of the Partners for Democracy and Governance group, raised this most recently with the Ugandan government on 24 October 2007.

Zanu (PF): Sequestration of Assets

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assets held in the UK by  (a) Robert Mugabe and  (b) other Zanu-PF party officials have been (i) confiscated and (ii) frozen.

Meg Munn: The EU sanctions on Zimbabwe impose, inter alia, an asset freeze on individual members of the Government of Zimbabwe, including Robert Mugabe and all senior figures deemed to be responsible for the misgovernance of Zimbabwe or for human rights abuses.
	All funds and economic resources belonging to persons listed under the sanctions are frozen and it is prohibited to make funds or economic resources available, directly or indirectly, to them. To date 43 accounts in the UK have been frozen, amounting to approximately £172,000. The EU sanctions do not provide for the confiscation of funds.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the next presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe to be free and fair.

Meg Munn: We believe that if the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe are to be held in line with international standards, including those adopted by Southern African Development Community (SADC), there need to be significant changes in the way the elections are currently being organised. These include the removal of all military personnel from the election management process; all parties able to hold rallies, campaign freely and have free access to the media; voting rights for the substantial Zimbabwean diaspora; and a fairer and more transparent voter registration process. We also believe that international election observers should be given access to Zimbabwe at the earliest opportunity, since preparations are already under way. We will work with EU, SADC and other African and international partners to encourage these changes.

Zimbabwe: Sanctions

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further diplomatic and economic sanctions have recently been considered by the Government to take against Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: There are 131 members of the Zimbabwean ruling elite on the EU travel ban/asset freeze list. We will ensure these are maintained and will press for the inclusion of further individuals associated with human rights abuses. We have also taken a decision to exclude from the UK certain individuals not yet on the EU list, such as Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono, where their presence is considered not conducive to the public good. There are no economic sanctions against Zimbabwe; our policy is to pursue targeted measures against the elite that will not further worsen the plight of Zimbabwe's long-suffering population.

Zimbabwe: Travel Restrictions

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what movement restrictions are in place for senior members of the Zimbabwean government.

Meg Munn: The EU currently imposes a travel ban on 131 members of the Zimbabwean ruling elite who are deemed to be responsible for the misgovernance of Zimbabwe or for human rights abuses. This includes Robert Mugabe and all members of his Cabinet.
	Zimbabwean officials on the EU list who attempt to travel to an EU country will be prevented from entering or transiting by the port authorities of that country. There are some exemptions to the travel ban list, for example, travel that is justified on the grounds of urgent humanitarian need or when a member state is bound by an obligation in international law as a host country providing an international intergovernmental organisation or conference, or when that conference is convened under the auspices of the UN.
	In May of this year the UK refused entry to a senior member of the Zimbabwean Government under the EU travel ban. Decisions to exclude from the UK certain individuals not yet on the EU travel ban have included the Reserve Bank Governor, Gideon Gono, who was excluded on non-conducive grounds.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Career Development Loans

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people have taken out career development loans.

Bill Rammell: Career Development Loans (CDLs) are a successful programme administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to help individuals finance vocational learning of their choice. Loan capital is provided by three high street banks. Since the scheme started in 1988 there have been 249,544 loans with a total value of £964 million lent by the banks.

Delivery Partnerships

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department has spent on the  (a) delivery partnership and  (b) post-qualification admission process since 2005.

Bill Rammell: A sector-led Delivery Partnership was established in 2006 to implement reforms to the higher education applications process, resulting from the Government's consultation in 2005 'Improving the Higher Education Applications Process'. The Department has contributed a total of £125,000 towards the costs of the Delivery Partnership to date, with further funding being provided by Universities UK.

Dentistry: Finance

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was allocated for dentistry courses in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The following table provides notional Higher Education Funding Council for England's (HEFCE) funding allocation figures for dentistry courses, based on numbers of full-time undergraduate clinical and pre-clinical dentistry students, from 1998-99 to 2006-07. A change in funding methodology means figures for 1997-98 would not be comparable.
	
		
			   Notional grant (£) 
			 1997-98 — 
			 1998-99 25,280,200 
			 1999-2000 25,668,000 
			 2000-01 26,094,500 
			 2001-02 27,777,000 
			 2002-03 28,464,900 
			 2003-04 31,648,700 
			 2004-05 35,482,000 
			 2005-06 39,073,600 
			 2006-07 43,179,200 
			  Notes: Figures are for England only. Figures are rounded. Figures for 1998-99 to 2000-01 do not include premiums such as London weighting, specialist institution premiums etc. Figures exclude postgraduate dentistry programmes. Figures also exclude any public contributions towards dentistry training from non-HEFCE sources.  Source: Figures are notional grant figures associated with the undergraduate dentistry students reported each year by institutions, using HEFCE's main teaching funding method, but they exclude other allocations such as funding for widening participation, which is not calculated by subject, and non-recurrent grants such as for capital. The data source for the student numbers is HEFCE's annual Higher Education Students Early Statistics (HESES) survey.

Departmental Flexible Working

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours (i) in the Department and (ii) the executive agencies for which the Department is responsible.

David Lammy: All staff in my Department can work flexibly. The information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department has no responsibility for the work arrangements of staff at executive agencies.

Departmental Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills to which periodicals his Department subscribes.

David Lammy: The information requested is as follows.
	 New Statesman
	 Voice Weekly
	 New Nation
	 Dod's Parliamentary Companion
	 Private Eye
	 The Economist
	 Vachers
	 Economic and Labour Market Review
	 Whitehall and Westminster World
	 Guardian Public Magazine
	 People Management and Public Finance
	 Talisman (Ofsted)
	 Times Higher Education Supp lement
	 Times Education Supplement
	 New Scientist
	 Nature
	 New Statesman
	 Research Affairs
	 Research Africa
	 Research Europe
	 Research Fortnight
	 Science
	 Scientific American
	 The Economist
	 The Engineer
	 The Week
	 Daily Mail
	 Daily Telegraph
	 Financial Times
	 Guardian
	 Independent
	 The Times

Departmental Publicity

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department has spent on advertising and promotional campaigns since its establishment; and what the cost of  (a) television,  (b) radio,  (c) print media and  (d) other elements of each campaign was; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Department is currently undertaking an advertising and promotional campaign to ensure students and parents are aware of the financial support that will be available from 2008. The campaign was launched 5 November, 2007, and will be repeated spring 2008, to meet the information needs at the height of the college application process. The advertising and publicity budget allocated to this programme is £4.9 million of which £2.151,124 will be spent on advertising and promotion. The costs have been broken down as requested.
	
		
			   Projected spend  (£) 
			   
			 Television 1,145,813 
			 Radio 562,184 
			 Print 443,127 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide figures for 2008-09. Budgets will not be agreed until communications priorities and objectives for 2008-09 have been finalised and planning (informed by evaluation of 2007-08 activity) has been completed.

Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: All the buildings occupied by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills are fully accessible to people with disabilities.

Higher Education: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of full-time first degree students at  (a) Oxford,  (b) Cambridge,  (c) the London School of Economics and  (d) Durham University were from (i) private schools in the UK, (ii) grammar schools in the UK, (iii) maintained schools in the UK that are non grammar and (iv) outside the UK in each year from 1990 to 2007.

Bill Rammell: The available information is shown in the table. These figures show the proportion of UK-domiciled young (under 21) entrants to full-time first degree courses, who are from state schools. This information is published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) within the annual Performance Indicators in Higher Education publication. This information is not available for other school types.
	For each institution, the state school proportion is shown against a benchmark. This is a sector average which is adjusted for each institution to take into account the following factors: subject of study, qualifications on entry and age on entry. The benchmarks can be used to show how a university is performing compared to the sector as a whole, and also help to determine whether a meaningful comparison can be drawn between two or more universities.
	
		
			  Proportion of UK-domiciled young (under 21) entrants to full-time first degree courses, who are from state schools 
			   University of Cambridge( 1)  University of Durham  London School of Economics  University of Oxford 
			  Academic year  Percentage  Benchmark  Percentage  Benchmark  Percentage  Benchmark  Percentage  Benchmark 
			 1997/98 51.7 62.8 62.0 74.0 56.8 70.1 46.8 65.4 
			 1998/99 53.2 65.8 63.1 76.8 61.8 73.9 49.8 68.2 
			 1999/2000 52.2 65.4 61.7 76.2 57.7 72.5 57.7 72.5 
			 2000/01 53.4 66.1 62.4 76.3 65.6 73.1 52.9 67.9 
			 2001/02 54.5 67.9 66.7 77.5 64.0 73.6 54.5 68.6 
			 2002/03 57.6 76.8 68.3 80.1 66.1 79.3 55.4 77.2 
			 2003/04 56.9 75.3 63.8 78.9 64.3 78.2 53.8 75.2 
			 2004/05 56.8 75.0 62.9 77.4 61.5 76.4 53.4 74.6 
			 2005/06 — — 61.8 78.9 59.4 76.0 53.7 75.4 
			 (1) Figures are not available for the University of Cambridge for 2005/06.   Source:  "Performance indicators in Higher Education", published by HESA. 
		
	
	Figures for 2006/07 will become available in 2008. Figures are not available for earlier years than 1997/98.

Higher Education: Fees and Charges

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills for what reasons the review into the impact of tuition fees is commencing in 2009.

Bill Rammell: We have previously given an assurance to Parliament that before any changes could be considered to the real-terms maximum level of fees for full-time undergraduates, an independent commission will examine the evidence from the first three years of the new fees regime—which was introduced from the start of the 2006/07 academic year.

Higher Education: Manpower

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions he has had on the demographic profile of the higher education workforce; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 15 November 2007
	 The Department has regular discussions with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) about the capacity and composition of the higher education work force. We have asked HEFCE to produce a regular report on higher education work force trends across the sector. The council published its Higher Education (HE) Workforce Framework in July 2006, which will be updated on a tri-annual basis in consultation with the HE sector. In parallel, HEFCE will publish an annual data report on trends in the HE workforce. This year's report will be published on its website before the end of the year. The Framework Report is available here
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/lgm/hr/
	The age profile of staff in English HEIs is shown in the following table. It shows that the profile remains consistent from 2003-04 to 2005-06 and that the majority of staff are between the ages of 30 and 60.
	
		
			  Staff in English HEIs by age 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Age group  Number of staff  Percentage  Number of staff  Percentage  Number of staff  Percentage 
			 Below 30 42,806 16 44,728 16 46,887 16 
			 30 to 39 71,483 26 73,472 26 74,981 26 
			 40 to 49 71,912 26 74,784 26 77,175 26 
			 50 to 59 68,979 25 70,847 25 71,914 25 
			 60 and over 17,731 6 19,656 7 20,934 7 
			 Total with known age 272,911 100 283,487 100 291,891 100 
			 Age unknown 2,213  1,148  542  
			 Total 275,124  284,635  292,433  
			  Source: HEFCE 
		
	
	HEFCE's analysis also produces subject specific information which is made available across the HE sector and this can be particularly helpful to higher education institutions in planning for the future.

Higher Education: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of young people from each ward in the Peterborough city council area undertook  (a) degrees and  (b) other advanced courses at university in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the table. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in January 2008.
	Figures are not available at ward level therefore the information in the table is for Peterborough local authority.
	
		
			  Young( 1)  entrants from Peterborough local authority by level of study: UK higher education institutions( 2: ) academic years 2001/02 to 2005/06 
			   Level of study 
			  Academic year  First Degree  Other Undergraduate 
			 2001/02 595 60 
			 2002/03 470 90 
			 2003/04 535 80 
			 2004/05 490 170 
			 2005/06 595 120 
			 (1) Young refers to undergraduates aged 20 and under. (2) Excludes the Open University.  Note:  The figures are on a HESA Standard Registration Population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5. They cover students on all modes of study.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	The Government's main measure of participation in higher education is the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR). This is the sum of the HE initial participation rates for individual ages between 17 and 30 inclusive. It covers English- domiciled first time entrants to HE courses, which are expected to last for at least six months, at UK higher education institutions and English, Scottish and Welsh further education colleges, and who remain on their course for at least six months. The HEIPR is not available for smaller areas.

Institute for Animal Health: Finance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much funding from the public purse has been paid to the Institute for Animal Health at Pirbright in Surrey for the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) on 1 October 2007,  Official Report, column 2346W.

Moulton College

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will visit Moulton College, Northamptonshire to meet staff and students and discuss future further education provision.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The Ministers and I are keen to visit as many colleges as possible to hear what staff and students have to say and have already been to 12 colleges since my Department was established in June 2007. My colleague, Lord Triesman, intends to visit Moulton college before the end of the year.

Older Workers

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans the Government have to encourage businesses to  (a) retain and  (b) develop and enhance the skills of older workers.

David Lammy: The Department and the Learning and Skills Council are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus to implement the proposals outlined in World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England and the Green Paper: In Work, better off, both published in July this year.
	Our reforms include supporting individuals, including older workers into sustainable employment and progression in work and in skills. We will give greater ownership and choice to individuals over their training through skills accounts backed up by a new universal adult careers service promoting personal advancement.
	Similarly we are working with employers through Train to Gain and the Skills Pledge to meet skill needs and to ensure that all employees including older people have the basic skills, including literacy and numeracy and Level 2 skills (equivalent to five good GCSEs) needed to sustain and progress in employment. We are increasing funding for Train to Gain from £440 million in 2007/08 to over £900 million in 2010/11. We want to encourage all employers in England to make a Skills Pledge—that is, a specific promise that every eligible employee will be helped to gain basic skills, and a full Level 2 qualification.

Sector Skills Council: Licensing

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the initial Sector Skills Councils' licences are due to expire; and if he will make a statement on plans for their renewal.

David Lammy: The original prospectus for Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) issued in 2001 suggested that licences would be granted for five years. The 25 SSCs received their licences between 2002 and 2006. The licences are valid until either the licence is withdrawn by the Secretary of State or the Sector Skills Development Agency ceases to contract with the SSC.
	The Government have now published "World Class Skills" as its response for England to the Leitch Review of Skills. This set out Government's intention to re-license SSCs, based on a new re-focused remit. Building on what was said in "World Class Skills", we are now working with the Devolved Administrations and other stakeholders to develop the arrangements which will apply to the issue of new licences. The new licences will be awarded by Ministers, in the light of advice the relevant Secretaries of State and Devolved Administrations receive from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. The re-licensing process will set out clear performance standards and requirements that SSCs must meet.

Students: Females

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of students studying for equivalent or lower qualifications at university are women.

Bill Rammell: Approximately 57 per cent. of students currently studying for equivalent or lower qualifications at university are women, which is broadly the same as the overall percentage of students who are women.

Students: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the results of the student income and expenditure survey are expected to be published.

Bill Rammell: We expect the 2007/08 Student Income and Expenditure Survey to be published in early 2009.

Students: Public Participation

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the selection criteria are for the establishment of  (a) student juries and  (b) the National Student Forum.

Bill Rammell: A working group of stakeholders from student representative bodies and other sector organisations will be meeting shortly to advise on the selection of participants for the student juries and the National Student Forum.
	An independent company will undertake the recruitment of participants for the student juries, taking into account advice from the working group to ensure that juries are representative of the student population.
	Members of the National Student Forum will be nominated by key student representation and advocacy groups. Those groups will be challenged to ensure that the forum is representative of the student population before making their final nominations.
	The following representation and advocacy groups will be invited to nominate members:
	
		
			   Number 
			 The National Union of Students 7 
			 The National Postgraduate Committee 3 
			 The Open University Students' Association 1 
			 The Mature Students' Union 2 
			 Skill: The national bureau for students with disabilities 2 
			 The British Council 2

Students: Public Participation

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the terms of reference are for the National Student Forum; and how its independence will be ensured.

Bill Rammell: The National Student Forum will be given broad terms of reference to look at issues affecting the student experience, and will be free to set its own agenda. It is anticipated that the forum will wish to provide a student perspective on emerging policy areas, help to evaluate the impact of existing policy on students in different circumstances, and initiate discussion on areas of potential policy development.
	An experienced and independent chair will be appointed to guide and oversee the work of the forum. It will also have independent secretariat support.
	The forum will publish an annual report to which Ministers will respond publicly.

Students: Public Participation

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills by what means the findings of student juries will be made available to the public.

Bill Rammell: We currently have no plans to publish the findings of individual student juries. Reports from the juries will be received by the National Student Forum. We expect that the Forum will want to draw on views expressed by the juries in setting its own agenda. The Forum will publish an annual report setting out the issues it has looked at and any recommendations it wishes to offer, to which ministers will respond publicly, and it may choose to include material from the juries within that report.

Students: Public Participation

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills by what means the minutes of the National Student Forum will be made available to the public after each of its meetings.

Bill Rammell: Once established, the National Student Forum itself will be invited to draw up its own ways of working. There is no expectation at this stage that the Forum will make public the minutes of its discussions. The Forum will, however, be expected to publish an annual report setting out the issues it has looked at and any recommendations it wishes to offer, to which Ministers will respond publicly.

Students: Public Participation

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criteria were used to select London, Sheffield, Bristol and Manchester to hold student juries; and where the fifth student jury will be held.

Bill Rammell: Two student juries will be held in London, and one in each of Sheffield, Bristol and Manchester. Our primary concern in selecting locations for student juries was to ensure a broad geographical spread and ease of access by public transport in order to maximise the number of potential participants.

Vocational Training

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of employers in England were involved in  (a) 16+ apprenticeships and  (b) Train to Gain in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08; and what proportion were engaged in both 16+ apprenticeships and Train to Gain in each year.

David Lammy: In 2006 there were an estimated 130,000 employers involved in apprenticeships in England and 48,730 employers have been involved in Train to Gain between its introduction in April 2006 and July 2007. Figures are not available for individual years and for employers involved in both Train to Gain and Apprenticeships at this time. According to Small and Medium Enterprise Statistics published by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, in 2005 there were around one million businesses with one or more employees in England.

Vocational Training

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the merits of conducting an audit of skills in England.

Bill Rammell: Understanding and addressing our nation's current and future skills needs is vital to the productivity and competitiveness of our economy. Lord Leitch's independent review, "Prosperity for all in the Global Economy: world class skills", published in December 2006 constituted an unprecedented analysis of the UK's current and future skills needs at the whole-economy level. The Government accepted the ambition recommended by Lord Leitch that we should aim to be a world leader on skills by 2020, benchmarked against the upper quartile of OECD countries, and in July we published "World Class Skills", setting out how we would deliver that ambition.
	We have now set stretching targets for the progress we want to make by 2011, set out in the Delivery Agreement for the new Skills PSA target. We will monitor progress towards those target indicators and against our objectives through regular reporting mechanisms including the Labour Force Survey, a Skills for Life Survey and the Learning and Skills Council's National Employers Skills Survey.
	Once it is fully operational next year, the new UK Commission for Employment and Skills will also play an important role in maintaining an overview of progress towards our world class skills ambitions in England.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Accountability

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what steps he intends to take to improve  (a) his accountability as Prime Minister and  (b) the accountability of his Office;
	(2)  if he will issue advice to officials drafting written parliamentary answers to  (a) draw attention to the need to respond to questions tabled as if they were requests submitted under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and  (b) to be as helpful as possible to hon. Members soliciting information;
	(3)  pursuant to the answers of 13 November,  Official Report, columns 229-30W, on departmental visits, and column 232W on Tony Blair, what account he took of the Ministerial Code when supplying the answers; and what assessment he has made of the compliance of his answers with his stated objective that the Executive should treat Parliament with greater respect.

Gordon Brown: In accordance with the Ministerial Code, Ministers are accountable for the decisions and actions of their Departments, including answers to parliamentary questions.

Departmental Official Engagements

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations he met in the week commencing 5 November, excluding Ministers and officials.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

Diego Garcia: USA

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that there is a parliamentary debate before any decision is taken on whether to allow the US Administration to use Diego Garcia in any planned strikes against Iran.

Gordon Brown: We are fully committed to a negotiated solution and are working to ensure that this difficult issue will be resolved through diplomacy. The Government always ensure that any use of their bases is in accordance with international law.

Mass Media

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister which  (a) newspaper proprietors,  (b) newspaper editors and  (c) chairmen and chief executives of broadcasting organisations he has met since assuming office.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

Michael Ashcroft

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the No. 10 Downing street press notice of 31 March 2000, what form Michael Ashcroft's clear and unequivocal assurance took that he would take up permanent residence in the UK prior to his introduction to the House of Lords.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the press notice issued on 31 March 2000.

Ministers: Codes of Practice

Simon Burns: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 74W, on Ministers: codes of practice, if he will clarify which part of his answer related to the application of the rules in the Ministerial Code.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 74W.

Security Guards: Licensing

David Davis: To ask the Prime Minister when the Secretary of State for the Home Department first made him aware that at least 5,000 licences had been granted by the Security Industry Authority to applicants not legally entitled to work in the UK.

Gordon Brown: I refer the right hon. Member to the answers I gave to the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) and the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) at Prime Minister's questions on Wednesday 14 November 2007.

Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Prime Minister when he last visited Wales; and when he next expects to visit Wales.

Gordon Brown: A list of my UK visits will be published in the usual way following the end of the financial year.

TREASURY

Alcohol-related Deaths: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths where alcohol was the primary cause there were in  (a) Dacorum and  (b) Hemel Hempstead constituency in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths where alcohol was the primary cause there were in  (a) Dacorum and  (b) Hemel Hempstead constituency in the last five years. (164118)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause, for  (a) Dacorum local authority, and  (b) Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency, for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , Dacorum local authority and Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency( 2,3) , 2002 to 2006( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Dacorum  Hemel Hempstead 
			 2002 19 12 
			 2003 10 3 
			 2004 11 7 
			 2005 18 11 
			 2006 21 15 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the box below. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency is wholly contained within the boundaries of Dacorum local authority. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Alcohol-related causes of death - International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Capital Gains Tax

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many business owners have received capital gains tax taper relief since 1998.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 15 November 2007
	It is not possible to disaggregate the information requested from central data sources.

Colorectal Cancer

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were diagnosed with bowel cancer in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the north east and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people were diagnosed with bowel cancer in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. (165321)
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2004 (United Kingdom). Numbers of cases of bowel cancer for the years 1997 to 2004 for (a) Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency, (b) South Tyneside County District, (c) North East Government Office Region and (d) United Kingdom are given in Table 1 below.
	
		
			  Table 1. Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of bowel cancers( 1) : Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside county district, north east government office region and United Kingdom, 1997 to 2004 
			   Jarrow  South Tyneside  North east  United Kingdom 
			 1997 62 108 1,651 35,220 
			 1998 54 111 1,741 35,731 
			 1999 77 116 1,799 36,236 
			 2000 68 122 1,772 36,071 
			 2001 67 113 1,762 35,310 
			 2002 63 133 1,781 35,119 
			 2003 46 88 1,713 35,675 
			 2004 66 135 1,766 36,109 
			 (1 )Bowel cancer is defined as code C18-C21 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).  Source:  Office for National Statistics Welsh Cancer Intelligence & Surveillance Unit. Scottish Cancer Registry, National Health Service in Scotland. Northern Ireland Cancer Registry

Departmental Flexible Working

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours in (i) his Department and (ii) the executive agencies for which the Department is responsible.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury and its agencies offer flexible working to staff where operational constraints permit. Many flexible working arrangements are made directly between managers and staff in line with Treasury guidance, and are not recorded. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what headcount change there has been against his Department's annual efficiency savings as part of the Gershon review; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what target reduction in staff in his core Department was agreed under the Spending Review 2004 up to 2007-08; what reduction was achieved; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many full-time equivalent staff the Treasury Group has relocated outside London and the South-East through relocation plans made in response to the Lyons review; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  pursuant to page seven of HM Treasury Efficiency Technical Note (December 2006) what  (a) activities,  (b) working practices and  (c) workflow processes; were (i) terminated and (ii) redesigned in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  which team and management structures within directorates were  (a) terminated and  (b) redesigned in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury Group publishes actions taken to achieve its efficiency savings and progress against its headcount reduction and relocation targets in its Spring Annual Report and Accounts and Autumn Performance Report. These are available at: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. The 2007 Autumn Performance Report will be published shortly.

Departmental Manpower

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the part-time permanent staff headcount was in  (a) the core Treasury,  (b) the Office of Government Commerce (OGC),  (c) OGC Buying Solutions and  (d) the Department Management Office in each year since 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information for the full-time equivalent permanent staff headcount data for core Treasury, Office of Government Commerce (OGC), OGC Buying Solutions and the Debt Management Office in each year since 1998, can be located from the following website:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/archive/index.asp

Departmental Manpower

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the full-time equivalent permanent staff headcount was in  (a) the core Treasury,  (b) the Office of Government Commerce (OGC),  (c) OGC Buying Solutions and  (d) the Department Management Office in each year since 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information for the full-time equivalent permanent staff headcount data for core Treasury, Office of Government Commerce (OGC), OGC Buying Solutions and the Debt Management Office since 1998, can be located from the following website:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/archive/index.asp

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what entertainment or hospitality members of his Department's management board received in each of the last three financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Paragraph 4.3.5 of the Civil Service Management Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality. The Government are committed to publishing an annual list of hospitality received by members of departmental boards. The first list for 2007 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current calendar year.

Departmental Repairs and Maintenance

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent by his Department on renovation and refurbishment of its properties in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: In May 2000 HM Treasury entered into a 35 year PFI Contract with Exchequer Partnership (EP) in respect of its building at 1 Horse Guards Road. Under the terms of the contract EP refurbished the building, which was completed in July 2002. Under the contract EP is responsible for future refurbishments as necessary over the remainder of the life of the contract.

Departmental Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish his Department's autumn performance reports.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury will publish its autumn performance report for 2007 before the House rises for the Christmas recess.

Diabetes: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths there were in  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk as a result of diabetes in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were in  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk as a result of diabetes in each of the last five years. (166152)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths where diabetes (i) was the underlying cause of death and (ii) was mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributing factor, in  (a) East of England government office region and  (b) Suffolk county, for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Number of deaths from diabetes( 1,2) , East of England government office region, and Suffolk county( 3) , 2002-06( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   East of England  Suffolk 
			   (i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention  (i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention 
			 2002 664 2,598 84 349 
			 2003 610 2,717 99 396 
			 2004 590 2,733 64 346 
			 2005 599 2,973 88 396 
			 2006 614 3,042 89 465 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E10-E14 (diabetes mellitus).  (2) Figures shown as 'any mention' (column ii) include those where diabetes was recorded as the underlying cause (column i).  (3) Based on boundaries as of 2007.  (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Drugs: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths where misuse of drugs was the primary cause there were in Hemel Hempstead constituency in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths where misuse of drugs was the primary cause there were in Hemel Hempstead constituency in the last five years. (164120)
	The most recent year for which figures are available is 2005. There were nine deaths certified as due to drug poisoning(1) and involving drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act(2) to residents of Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency(3) in the five years 2001 to 2005. They do not include deaths which may be indirectly related to drug use, such as blood-borne viral infections or transport accidents.
	(1) Defined using the following codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision F11-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, Y10-Y14, XS5
	(2) Drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 include class A, B and C drugs.
	(3) Usual residents of Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency.

EC Nationals

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many EU citizens from other member states aged between 16 and 18 years old were resident in each local authority area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many EU citizens from other member states aged between 16 and 18 years were resident in each local authority area in each of the last three years for which figures are available. (165148)
	Figures cannot be provided at the level of detail requested. The Labour Force Survey is the best available source on the characteristics of UK residents for the last three years. However, sample sizes from this source at this level are too small to provide estimates and could prove disclosive.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reduce the fuel duty paid by individuals who use petrol and diesel powered farm machinery and agricultural road vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Fuel duty helps the Government meet their targets of reducing polluting emissions and funding public services. Vehicles which are not used (or which are used only incidentally) on public roads are entitled to use rebated gas oil which is liable for a duty rebate of over 80 per cent.

Foreign Workers: EU Nationals

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of change in the number of EU A8 nationals in employment in the UK since the A8 accession; what estimate he made of the number of A8 nationals working in the UK prior to A8 accession; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 19 November 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of EU A8 nationals in employment in the UK since the A8 accession and the number of A8 nationals working in the UK prior to accession. I am replying in her absence. (162354)
	The attached table gives the number of A8 nationals in employment for the three month period ending June each year, from 2001 to 2007.
	The data for analysing migrant workers comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is routinely based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women), and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis.
	When interpreting the figures in the table, it is important to bear in mind that the LFS is not designed to cover everyone who is present in the UK. The survey may undercount the numbers of people who were born overseas, for the reasons which are set out in the table footnotes.
	The LFS estimates at this detailed level are only available consistent with the UK population estimates published in February and March 2003 and are not comparable with the estimates published in the Labour Market Statistics First Release on 14 November 2007, which are based on latest population estimates.
	Estimates are taken from the LFS. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  People of working age( 1)  in employment by country of birth , t hree months ending June, 2001-07  United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  T housand 
			   UK  EU A8( 2) 
			 2001 24,431 38 
			 2002 24,426 36 
			 2003 24,473 41 
			 2004 24,471 74 
			 2005 24,444 148 
			 2006 24,177 245 
			 2007 23,948 417 
			 (1) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. (2) Accession 8 (A8) countries consist of: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.  Note: It should be noted that the above estimates: exclude those who have been resident in the UK for less than six months exclude students in halls of residence who do not have a UK resident parent exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.) are grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying 12 months or more are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003 which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates as used in the Labour Market Statistics monthly First Release.  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

Inheritance Tax: Freedom of Information

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role Ministers played in authorising the fast-tracking of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 request on inheritance tax released on 8 November.

Jane Kennedy: The disclosure made by the Treasury on 8 November 2007 was in response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on 15 October 2007. In line with the requirements of the Act, the Treasury aims to answer all requests within 20 working days.

Inheritance Tax: Freedom of Information

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days before the pre-budget report was published the section on inheritance tax was sent to the printers.

Jane Kennedy: The 2007 pre-Budget report (PBR) and comprehensive spending review (CSR) was published on 9 October. As is typically the case for all Budgets, pre-Budget reports and spending reviews, all material was sent to the printers in the final days before the publication date.

Lung Cancer

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were  (a) diagnosed with and  (b) died from lung cancer in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people have  (a) been diagnosed with and  (b) died from lung cancer in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK in each year since 1997. (165400)
	The latest available figures for  (a) newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2004 (United Kingdom). Numbers of cases of lung cancer for the years 1997 to 2004 for (i) Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency, (ii) South Tyneside County District, (iii) North East Government Office Region and (iv) United Kingdom are given in Table 1 below.
	The latest available figures for  (b) deaths are for the year 2006. Numbers of deaths from lung cancers for the years 1997 to 2006 for (i) Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency, (ii) South Tyneside County District, (iii) North East Government Office Region and (iv) United Kingdom are given in Table 2 below.
	
		
			  Table 1. Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of lung cancers( 1) : Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside county district, North East government office region and United Kingdom, 1997-2004 
			   Jarrow  South Tyneside  North East  United Kingdom 
			 1997 105 183 2,514 39,853 
			 1998 97 172 2,455 39,289 
			 1999 95 191 2,448 39,199 
			 2000 95 181 2,356 39,164 
			 2001 84 171 2,391 38,760 
			 2002 72 141 2,389 38,171 
			 2003 82 174 2,321 38,150 
			 2004 98 184 2,243 38,313 
			 1 Lung cancer is defined as code C33-C34 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).   Sources:  1. Office for National Statistics.  2. Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit.  3. Scottish Cancer Registry, National Health Service in Scotland.  4. Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths where lung cancer( 1)  was the underlying cause of death: Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside county district, North East government office region and United Kingdom, 1997-2006( 2) 
			   Jarrow  South Tyneside  North East  United Kingdom 
			 1997 91 167 2,173 34,801 
			 1998 96 164 2,203 34,855 
			 1999 90 165 2,145 34,086 
			 2000 74 160 2,086 33,612 
			 2001 75 155 2,115 33,523 
			 2002 75 137 2,055 33,706 
			 2003 63 142 2,038 33,424 
			 2004 82 156 1,989 33,053 
			 2005 73 141 2,075 33,503 
			 2006 77 131 2,123 34,226 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 162 for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C33-C34 for subsequent years. The introduction of ICD-10 means that the numbers of deaths from cancer before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years.  (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.   Notes:  1. UK figures include deaths of non-residents in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not in England and Wales.  2. UK figures for 2006 include figures for Northern Ireland which are provisional until the publication of the Registrar General Annual Report in December 2007.   Source:  Office for National Statistics.

Minimum Wage

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in each  (a) London borough and  (b) Government region earn no more than the minimum wage; and what percentage of the working population each figure represents.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking how many people in each  (a) London borough and  (b) Government region earn no more than the minimum wage; and what percentage of the working population each figure represents. (165198)
	Estimates for the number of jobs which earn no more than the national minimum wage are not available. I attach a table showing the number of jobs earning less than the national minimum wage by available Government Office Region. Estimates for each London borough are not available.
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5837
	
		
			  Estimates of UK jobs( 1)  paid below minimum wage by Government Office Region, 2007 
			  Government Office Region  Thousand  Percentage 
			 North East 16 2 
			 North West (including Merseyside) 32 1 
			 Yorks and Humber 24 1 
			 East Midlands 25 1 
			 West Midlands 26 1 
			 Eastern 27 1 
			 London 23 1 
			 South East 32 1 
			 South West 25 1 
			 Wales 17 2 
			 Scotland 30 1 
			 Northern Ireland 15 2 
			 All 292 1 
			 1 Estimates are for those aged 16 and over.   Source:  Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics

Minimum Wage

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in  (a) Eastbourne,  (b) East Sussex and  (c) England earn no more than the minimum wage; and what percentage of the relevant population in work each figure represents.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people in (a) Eastbourne, (b) East Sussex and (c) England earn the minimum wage; and what percentage of the relevant population in work each figure represents. (165318)
	Estimates for the number of jobs paid at the national minimum wage are not available. However, estimates for the number of jobs paid below the national minimum wage are available for Government Office Regions but not at local authority level. I attach a table showing the number of jobs earning less than the national minimum wage for each of the Government Office Regions in England along with the total.
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics web site at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vInk=5837
	
		
			  Estimates of UK jobs( 1)  paid below minimum wage by Government office region, 2007 
			  Government office region  Number (Thousand )  Percentage 
			 North East 16 2 
			 North West (including Merseyside) 32 1 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 24 1 
			 East Midlands 25 1 
			 West Midlands 26 1 
			 Eastern 27 1 
			 London 23 1 
			 South East 32 1 
			 South West 25 1 
			
			 England 230 1 
			 (1) Estimates are for those aged 16 and over.   Source:  Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Northern Rock

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  by what mechanism he calculated the amount to be paid by Northern Rock for the guarantee given by the Government to that company's depositors; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had about the treatment for accounting purposes of the guarantee given to Northern Rock depositors; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1187W.

Office of Government Commerce

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the Office of Government Commerce's  (a) internal processes,  (b) purchase orders and  (c) invoicing processes were automated in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: In 2003-04, OGC automated the review and authorisation of Government procurement card transactions, the recording of these transactions in the financial ledgers and the automatic production of electronic remittance advices from the finance system. Purchase order processing were automated in 2006-07. Sales invoices were automated prior to 2003-04.

Office of Government Commerce

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of relocating posts from London to Liverpool by the Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many posts were relocated from London to Liverpool by the Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: No cost was incurred.
	15 posts were relocated from London to Liverpool by OGC buying solutions in 2006-07.

Office of Government Commerce

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on travel costs of the use of video conferencing by the Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: A figure for the reduction in travel costs through the use of video conferencing in OGCbuying.solutions has not been calculated for the period requested. However, OGCbuying.solutions has recently completed a procurement exercise to upgrade its existing audio/video facilities. As part of the business case for this, a target saving of 30,000 per year on travel costs has been set (from April 2008 when the new facilities will become available).

Personal Income

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the median income is in the UK; how many people have less than  (a) 10,  (b) 20,  (c) 30,  (d) 40,  (e) 50,  (f) 60 and  (g) 70 per cent. of that income; how many people have (i) 25, (ii) 50, (iii) 100, (iv) 200, (v) 300, (vi) 400, (vii) 500, (viii) 600, (ix) 700, (x) 800, (xi) 900, (xii) 1,000, (xiii) 2,000, (xiv) 5,000, (xv) 10,000 and (xvi) 20,000 per cent. higher incomes than that income; and what the threshold income is in each case.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the median income is in the UK; how many people have (a) 10 per cent., (b) 20 per cent., (c) 30 per cent., (d) 40 per cent., (e) 50 per cent., (f) 60 per cent, and (g) 70 per cent, of that income; how many people have (i) 25 per cent., (ii) 50 per cent., (iii) 100 per cent., (iv) 200 per cent., (v) 300 per cent., (vi) 400 per cent., (vii) 500 per cent., (viii) 600 per cent., (ix) 700 per cent., (x) 800 per cent., (xi) 900 per cent., (xii) 1000 per cent., (xiii) 2,000 per cent., (xiv) 5,000 per cent., (xv) 10,000 per cent, and (xvi) 20,000 per cent, higher incomes than that income; and what the threshold income is in each case. (163061)
	ONS is unable to provide estimates for income, but has given estimates for earnings estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). Estimates provided are for all employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. ONS is not able to provide estimates of the numbers of people in each category.
	I attach a table showing the median earnings for all UK employees and the percentage of employees in each of the categories outlined above from the 2007 survey.
	
		
			  Percentage of UK Employee( a)  jobs earnings less than percentages of the median in 2007 
			  Percentage of a l l employees median earnings (374.9)  Threshold Earnings ()  Percentage of all employees earning less than the percentage of median 
			 10 38 1.8 
			 20 75 5.2 
			 30 113 9.7 
			 40 150 14.2 
			 50 187 18.7 
			 60 225 24.0 
			 70 262 30.5 
			 2007 UK Employees Median Gross Weekly Earnings = 374.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of UK Employed jobs earnings greater than percentages of the median in 2007 
			  Percentage higher than all employees median earnings (374.9)  Threshold Earnings ()  Percentage of all employees earning more than the percentage of median 
			 25 469 36.6 
			 50 562 26.2 
			 100 750 12.8 
			 200 1,125 4.1 
			 300 1,500 1.9 
			 400 1,874 1.0 
			 500 2,249 0.5 
			 600 2,624 *0.3 
			 700 2,999 *0.2 
			 800 3,374 *0.1 
			 900 3,749 *0.1 
			 1000 4,124 **0.1 
			 2000+ 7,872 0.1 
			 (a) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.  Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CVfor example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. CV = 5% * CV  5% and = 10% ** CV 10%and =20%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Research and Development Tax Credit

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many UK companies have claimed tax credits for research and development since the introduction of the scheme.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 15 November 2007
	National statistics published on the HMRC website show that around 23,000 claims have been made for RD tax credits in the first five years of the scheme. These claims have been made by a total of just under 12,000 companies, reflecting the fact that companies can make numerous claims.

Service Industries: Dacorum

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of people in Dacorum are employed in  (a) service industries and  (b) manufacturing industries; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment in Dacorum. (164126)
	In 2005, an estimated 88 per cent of employee jobs in Dacorum were in service industries and 7 per cent were in manufacturing industries. These estimates are from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI). They do not include self-employment jobs and are not seasonally adjusted.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the ABI are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Skilled Workers: Dacorum

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of people in Dacorum are classified as  (a) professionals and  (b) skilled workers; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. (164125)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	The percentage of people resident in the Dacorum local authority who are employed in professional and skilled trades occupations for the 12-month period ending March 2007 was, respectively, 11 and 9 per cent. of all those in employment.
	Professional and skilled workers are classified using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2000 for Professional Occupations and Skilled Trades Occupations respectively.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.

Statistics Commission: Finance

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what efficiency gains in relation to the HM Treasury Efficiency Technical Note of December 2006 have been made by the Statistics Commission in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Under the HM Treasury Efficiency Note of December 2006 the Statistics Commission agreed to budget within flat cash grant funding through to 2007-08. It has achieved this for the period 2003-04 to 2006-07 and expects to do so in 2007-08. In 2004-05 the commission was allowed additional grant in aid to fund relocation. This relocation saved 487,000 on accommodation costs over the period 2005-06 to 2007-08 in cash terms, and new contractual arrangements saved a further 30,000, which was redistributed to staffing and research.

Sterling

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the purchasing power was as at November 2007 of the pound sterling at May 1997 prices.

Kitty Ussher: Estimates of the purchasing power of the pound sterling are conditional on the price index one uses to deflate from 1997.
	The ONS provides price indices data in the monthly publication Focus on Consumer Price Indices. The most recent publication is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/Focus_on_CPI_September_2007.pdf

Taxation: Domicile

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people claiming non-domicile tax status in the UK who were born in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC does not hold information on how many individuals claiming non-domicile tax status in the UK were born in the UK.

Taxation: Rebates

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of unclaimed tax refunds was in each year since 2001.

Jane Kennedy: Tax refunds are made either as a result of a taxpayer filing a tax return or making a specific claim. The information requested on the total value of unclaimed tax refunds since 2001 is not available.

Telephone Services: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed in  (a) call centres and  (b) manufacturing in Hemel Hempstead constituency in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question asking how many people were employed in  (a) call centres and  (b) manufacturing in Hemel Hempstead constituency in the last year for which figures are available. (164119)
	There were an estimated 3,000 employee jobs in manufacturing industries in Hemel Hempstead constituency in 2005. This estimate is from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI). It does not include self-employment jobs and is not seasonally adjusted. Information about employment in call centres is not available.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the ABI are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

VAT: Contraceptives

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on reducing the VAT rate on condoms.

Jane Kennedy: Ministers from HM Treasury and the Department of Health regularly discuss a wide range of issues. The Government reduced the rate of VAT chargeable on condoms and other contraceptive products sold on an over the counter basis to 5 per cent. on 1 July 2006. The rate of VAT chargeable on these products is now the lowest rate allowed under our VAT agreements with our European partners.

VAT: Game

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to apply standard rate value-added tax to game birds which are bred for sport; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the amount of  (a) business rates and  (b) VAT which the game bird shooting industry has paid in the last 12 months; what estimate he has made of its liability for each; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 10 October 2006,  Official Report, column 725W.
	No such estimates have been made.

Weather: Mortality Rates

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people over the age of 65 died during the winter months in  (a) England and  (b) the UK in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people over the age of 65 died during the winter months in (a) England and (b) the UK in each year since 1997. (165320)
	The latest available data are for 2005. The tables below contain the number of deaths in persons aged 65 and over for England and the UK. As there is no standard definition of winter, figures are supplied for every month.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths in persons aged 65 and over, by month of death, England, 1997 to 2005 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 January 55,558 40,120 52,006 53,764 40,962 44,134 40,534 41,482 41,320 
			 February 37,308 35,933 36,732 34,744 34,871 34,347 34,890 33,601 35,023 
			 March 35,731 39,154 37,292 34,217 38,133 36,419 36,856 35,261 38,448 
			 April 33,781 37,053 32,657 33,070 34,102 33,649 34,984 32,064 33,079 
			 May 33,760 34,190 32,629 32,095 33,611 33,144 33,577 31,846 32,649 
			 June 31,789 32,171 31,314 31,121 31,565 31,612 30,679 30,385 29,963 
			 July 32,166 32,827 31,308 31,549 31,940 32,322 31,641 30,787 29,720 
			 August 31,621 32,164 31,562 30,466 30,738 31,079 32,959 30,590 29,760 
			 September 31,441 31,930 30,862 29,809 31,180 30,871 31,056 29,879 28,337 
			 October 34,421 35,299 34,293 33,416 32,504 34,764 34,826 32,728 31,229 
			 November 35,315 35,406 33,956 34,460 33,873 33,923 37,049 31,909 32,022 
			 December 39,382 46,433 48,609 37,371 38,709 39,365 40,557 37,882 37,045 
			 Not known 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of deaths in persons aged 65 and over, by month of death, United Kingdom, 1997 to 2005 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 January 66,471 48,439 62,696 64,817 49,462 52,695 49,073 50,012 49,374 
			 February 44,878 43,217 45,127 41,832 41,881 41,546 42,135 40,620 42,297 
			 March 43,088 47,323 45,310 41,327 45,988 44,024 44,384 42,654 46,748 
			 April 40,665 44,767 39,716 39,968 41,215 40,668 42,197 38,901 40,039 
			 May 40,774 41,201 39,481 38,897 40,523 40,006 40,748 38,630 39,514 
			 June 38,557 38,812 37,838 37,720 37,992 38,113 37,255 36,767 36,429 
			 July 38,951 39,609 37,827 37,979 38,535 39,046 38,217 37,246 36,038 
			 August 38,295 38,959 38,230 36,767 37,244 37,652 39,570 36,986 35,966 
			 September 37,883 38,587 37,334 36,331 37,839 37,547 37,660 36,301 34,489 
			 October 41,644 42,623 41,280 40,317 39,436 41,883 42,026 39,690 37,813 
			 November 42,562 42,555 41,008 41,492 40,681 41,091 44,734 38,538 38,611 
			 December 47,487 54,943 58,675 44,877 46,482 47,422 48,787 45,499 44,503 
			 Not known 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 2

Welfare Tax Credits

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many requests to reconsider the recovery of overpayments of working tax credit were received by HM Revenue and Customs in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c) 2005 and  (d) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Information about requests to reconsider the recovery of working tax credit overpayments is not kept separately from other tax credit disputes.

Welfare Tax Credits

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for each type of tax credit the value of unclaimed credits in each parliamentary constituency.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the amounts unclaimed for Child and Working Tax Credits in 2003-04 and 2004-05 are available in Table 1 in the HMRC publications Child and Working Tax Credit take-up rates, for each relevant year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-take-up.htm.
	The same information is not available at parliamentary constituency level.

Welfare Tax Credits

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people had tax credit payments suspended due to overpayments in  (a) each county in England and Wales and  (b) Hemel Hempstead constituency in each year since tax credits were introduced;
	(2)  how many tax credit claimants had  (a) in-year and  (b) end-of-year adjustments made to their awards in each year since 2003-04; and in how many in-year adjustments the tax credit award was reduced to zero.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of tax credit customers who have an overpayment at the end of each year for 2003-04 to 2005-06 to be recovered either directly or by reducing an ongoing award for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 is published in the HMRC publications Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards. Supplement on Payments. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	The same information by county and constituency, is available in the HMRC publications Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments. Geographical Analysis, for each relevant year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	The same information for 2006-07 is due to be published in May 2008.
	The information requested on how many customers are having payments reduced due to overpayment recovery is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Welfare Tax Credits: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants in Hemel Hempstead constituency there were in each year since the scheme began; and how many have been  (a) underpaid and  (b) overpaid.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the number of families with tax credit awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 are available in the HMRC publications Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments. Geographical Analysis, for each relevant year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http.//www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	The same information for 2006-07 will be available in May 2008.

Welfare Tax Credits: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Islington North constituency were in receipt of tax credits in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the  (a) equivalent figure and  (b) average amount paid was in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: The latest information on the number of recipient families with tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency, is available in the HMRC snapshot publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. April 2007. Equivalent snapshot figures for April 2005 and 2006 are also published.
	For the average amount paid, information on average annual entitlements by each parliamentary constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06, is produced in the HMRC publications Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Geographical Analyses, for each relevant year. All of these publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Charities: Political Activities

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Government's proposals for reform of charity legislation will allow charities to be set up and run  (a) exclusively and  (b) mainly for (i) political and (ii) campaigning purposes.

Phil Hope: To qualify as a charity in England and Wales, an organisation must be established for exclusively charitable purposes which are for the public benefit. The activities of a charity can include campaigning and political activities provided they are likely to further or support the charity's charitable purposes.
	The Charities Act 2006 represents an important reform of the legal and regulatory framework for charities, and there are currently no plans for further legislation to reform charity law.

Charities: Political Activities

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Government's proposals on charities engaging in political campaigning will apply to student unions.

Phil Hope: Most students' unions are charities, and like other charities they must comply with charity law, including the rules on engaging in political campaigning. The Charity Commission and what was then the Department for Education and Skills have published guidance for students' unions, which includes details on campaigning and political activity.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many reports have been made to the Cabinet Office's nominated officers under paragraph 16 of the revised Civil Service Code since its publication on 6 June 2006;
	(2)  how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to the Cabinet Office by departmental staff since 6 June 2006;
	(3)  when the Cabinet Office's whistleblowing procedures were reviewed to reflect the provisions in the revised Civil Service Code.

Gillian Merron: Guidance on whistleblowing is set out in the Civil Service Management Code and the Directory of Civil Service Guidance. Both documents are being updated, and the revised versions will incorporate the provisions of the new Civil Service Code. Departmental whistleblowing procedures will be amended to reflect the revised guidance.
	I understand that the Civil Service Commissioners intend from 1 April 2008 to monitor Departments' procedures and collect information on all issues raised under the Civil Service Code and not just those appeals made to them. They will report on this in their annual reports.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Cabinet Office arranges training for  (a) nominated officers and  (b) staff of other Government Departments on handling whistleblowing concerns.

Gillian Merron: The Cabinet Office hosted a number of seminars for departmental nominated officers in the lead up to the publication of the new Civil Service Code and further cross-departmental events are planned. The Cabinet Office also provides advice and support to Departments on individual cases when requested.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many cases alleging victimisation for whistleblowing were taken to the Civil Service Appeal Board in the last year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: Statistics on the number of appeals heard in each of the last 10 years can be found in Appendix 3 of each of the Board's Annual Reports. Copies can be found on the Board's website at: www.civilserviceappealboard.gov.uk. The Board has confirmed that it did not receive, or hear, any cases during 2006-07 involving allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing.

HEALTH

Ambulance Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards ensuring that ambulance services call centre staff have clinical expertise.

Ben Bradshaw: Ambulance trusts are currently taking forward work on the delivery of a national competency framework, and of a performance management framework, for control rooms and these will be used to inform the development of nationally recognised education and training programmes for ambulance call handling staff.

Ambulance Services: Global Navigation Satellite Systems

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the  (a) suitability and  (b) effectiveness of navigation systems used by ambulance services, with particular reference to Terrafix.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has made no assessments on the suitability or effectiveness of navigation systems used by the ambulance service. Ambulance trusts decide locally which navigational systems they wish to procure; therefore, assessment of suitability and effectiveness will be a matter for each national health service ambulance trust to manage locally.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all ambulance trusts meet national response time requirements; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for strategic health authorities (SHAs), as the local headquarters of the national health service, and primary care trusts (PCTs), as commissioners, to ensure that national response time standards are delivered and maintained by ambulance trusts. The Department, via the Recovery and Support Unit discusses performance with SHAs to ensure that SHAs work with local organisations to address performance issues, and if appropriate with support from the National Ambulance Performance Implementation Lead.
	In 2008, changes to performance reporting will be introduced, which will align the reported response times more closely to patients' experience. The Department is supporting ambulance trusts to prepare for this change by providing advice and specialist support, and facilitating the sharing of data, analysis and best practice.
	The Department implemented a 25 million capital incentive scheme during 2006-07. A similar scheme operated in 2004-05. Both schemes rewarded trusts who demonstrated improved levels of performance including response times.
	The Healthcare Commission assesses ambulance trusts, and PCTs on performance against national response time requirements.

British Psychological Society

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that when regulations are issued in relation to the Draft Order in Council under section 62 (10) of the Health Act 1999 relating to the Health Care and Associated Professions (Miscellaneous amendments) (No. 2) Order 2007, that the order contains provisions that will allow the free transfer of the appropriate membership lists from the Association of Educational Psychologists similar to that facility proposed for the British Psychological Society and its members.

Ben Bradshaw: Draft legislation to introduce statutory regulation of educational psychologists is due to be published shortly. It will contain a provision for all current practitioners subject to voluntary regulation which demonstrates their fitness to practise safely and competently to be automatically transferred to the statutory register.

Cancer: Drugs

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts in England provide funding for Sunitinib for patients with renal cancer who have failed to respond to all other treatments.

Ann Keen: The Department does not hold information on which primary care trusts (PCTs) in England provide funding for Sunitinib (sutent) for patients with renal cancer who have failed to respond to all other treatments.
	Sunitinib is licensed in the United Kingdom for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumours.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising Sunitinib for renal cell carcinoma.
	In the meantime, it is for local PCTs to decide whether to make Sunitinib available to patients. In doing so, they need to take into account the available evidence. It is not acceptable for national health service organisations to refuse to fund a treatment simply because it has not been appraised by NICE.

Departmental NDPBs

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) budget and  (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled.

Ivan Lewis: Information on all the Department's public bodies is published annually by the Cabinet Office in the Public Bodies Directory. This is available at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/public_bodies/index.asp
	The directory for each year from 1998 to 2006 is currently available and the 2007 directory will be available before the end of the year.

Edgware Hospital: Rheumatology

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that rheumatologists at Edgware hospital will be able to continue to refer patients direct to physiotherapy and podiatry services at Edgware hospital on the same day; what the reasons were for the change in these arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a matter for the local national health service. It is for the local health organisations to decide how to best serve their local communities.

Edgware Hospital: Surgery

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to facilitate access to out-of-hours operating theatre capacity at Edgware hospital; when these plans will be enacted; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a matter for the local national health service. It is for the local health organisations to decide how to best serve their local communities.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of GP practices have had facilities available for  (a) video and  (b) telephone links to hospital consultants in each year since 1997 for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: These data are not collected centrally.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that the 100 new GP practices for the 25 per cent. of primary care trusts with the poorest primary care provision are  (a) able to embrace the latest, most modern models of primary care,  (b) situated in convenient locations and  (c) open into the evenings and at weekends.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for primary care trusts (PCTS) to determine the detailed service specification that contractors will be invited to tender to provide. We will expect PCTs to look to procure innovative solutions and models of provision that will contribute to improvements in access and outcomes for patients through the primary health care services secured.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what date  (a) the first and  (b) all the 100 new general practitioner practices for the 25 per cent. of primary care trusts with the poorest primary care provision will be open.

Ben Bradshaw: The 25 per cent. of primary care trusts that have been identified as having the poorest primary medical care provision are developing their delivery plans to meet local needs. The Department is now working with the national health service to ensure that the proposed services are commissioned and this includes discussions around timescales.

General Practitioners: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to  (a) monitor and  (b) improve access to GP appointments in Hendon; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The General Practitioner Patient Survey is the best indicator of public views on current access arrangements for GP services. The survey's results at national, primary care trust and GP practice levels were published in July 2007. We expect PCTs to analyse their own survey results to understand local variation between their practices as well as patient needs, and have asked them to provide action plans by December for the delivery of access improvements.

General Practitioners: Manpower

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of practising NHS general practitioners to population was in  (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) England in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of general medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) per 100,000 head of population for England, the East of England strategic health authority area and the two Hertfordshire primary care trusts.
	
		
			  Number (headcount) 
			   All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)  All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) per 100,000 head of population 
			 England 33,091 65.3 
			 East Of England 3,568 64.4 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 317 61.1 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 349 65.9 
			  Note:  General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes GP and GP others.   Sources:  1. The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.  2. Resident Population Estimates, Office for National Statistics.

General Practitioners: Retirement

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many single GP surgeries have closed following the retirement of the doctor in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of NHS GP surgeries in Leicester use premium rate phone lines for patient appointments; what guidance his Department provides to NHS GP surgeries on the use of premium rate phone lines for patient appointments; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally.
	East Midlands strategic health authority (SHA) reports that no general practice surgeries in Leicester use premium rate phone lines for patient appointments but that a number of surgeries do use 084 lo-call numbers.
	The SHA reports that Leicester City primary care trust (PCT) is reviewing the use of 084 numbers as part of its improving access strategy. This review is taking place during November and the PCT should be in a position to report in December.
	The provision of telephone services for patients and the public is a matter for the local national health service. The Department did however issue guidance in December of last year clearly setting out that patients should not be charged more than the equivalent of a local call.

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much his Department estimates GP surgeries receive in revenue from calls to 0844 revenue sharing numbers;
	(2)  how many GPs' surgeries in each primary care trust area use 0844 revenue sharing telephone numbers;
	(3)  through what mechanism GP surgeries receive payment from calls to 0844 revenue sharing numbers.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 15 November 2007
	We do not collect information centrally on the use of 084 telephone numbers.
	The provision of telephone services for patients and the public is a matter for the local national health service. The Department did however issue guidance in December of last year clearly setting out that patients should not be charged more than the equivalent of a local call.

Health Services: Armed Forces

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that there is a consistent implementation of the policy of priority treatment for armed services veterans by general practitioners and hospital clinicians; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department sends out periodic reminders about the arrangements for priority treatment for war pensioners. Another reminder will be sent out shortly.

Hearing Aids: Waiting Lists

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for hearing aid assessments in each primary care trust in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The information on audiology assessments is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Diagnostic waiting statistics concerning audiology assessments for all primary care trusts (PCTs) in England, patients still waiting at the end of the month, time periodmonth ending September 2007 
			  Area  Average median time of patients still waiting (in weeks) 
			 Newcastle PCT 24.1 
			 North Tyneside PCT 13.2 
			 Hartlepool PCT 3.1 
			 North Tees PCT 6.3 
			 Darlington PCT 47.1 
			 Gateshead PCT 3.9 
			 South Tyneside PCT n/a 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT n/a 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 6.2 
			 County Durham 28.3 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 5.9 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 24.3 
			 Blackburn With Darwen PCT 1.6 
			 Salford PCT 2.9 
			 Stockport PCT n/a 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 5.2 
			 Blackpool PCT 16.6 
			 Bolton PCT 0.9 
			 Warrington PCT 12.1 
			 Knowsley PCT 14.8 
			 Oldham PCT n/a 
			 Bury PCT 1.0 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 3.2 
			 Cumbria 8.6 
			 North Lancashire 8.9 
			 Central Lancashire 40.6 
			 East Lancashire 1.4 
			 Sefton 1.5 
			 Wirral 2.5 
			 Liverpool 16.9 
			 Halton and St Helens 13.1 
			 West Cheshire over 52 weeks 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 4.1 
			 Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton 1.4 
			 Trafford 3.2 
			 Manchester 0.6 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 49.8 
			 Rotherham PCT 1.6 
			 Calderdale PCT n/a 
			 Barnsley PCT 2.9 
			 Leeds 20.9 
			 Kirklees n/a 
			 Wakefield n/a 
			 Sheffield 2.3 
			 Doncaster 3.5 
			 North Yorkshire and York 3.9 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire over 52 weeks 
			 Hull Teaching over 52 weeks 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching 10.1 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 34.1 
			 Nottingham City PCT 4.4 
			 Bassetlaw PCT n/a 
			 Derbyshire County 3.3 
			 Derby City n/a 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 3.4 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching 48.4 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 6.4 
			 Leicester City Teaching 6.7 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 7.4 
			 Herefordshire PCT over 52 weeks 
			 South Birmingham PCT 4.2 
			 Shropshire County PCT 4.6 
			 Walsall PCT n/a 
			 Coventry PCT 3.3 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 4.6 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 4.7 
			 Heart of Birmingham PCT 4.1 
			 Dudley over 52 weeks 
			 Sandwell 2.0 
			 Birmingham East and North 3.0 
			 North Staffordshire 40.1 
			 Stoke on Trent Teaching 44.7 
			 South Staffordshire 30.7 
			 Worcestershire 4.0 
			 Warwickshire 2.6 
			 Solihull PCT 2.3 
			 Luton PCT n/a 
			 South East Essex 3.9 
			 Bedfordshire 3.9 
			 East and North Hertfordshire n/a 
			 West Hertfordshire 23.4 
			 Peterborough 2.7 
			 Cambridgeshire 4.1 
			 Norfolk 5.3 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching 3.6 
			 Suffolk 3.2 
			 West Essex 4.7 
			 North East Essex 5.1 
			 Mid Essex 0.7 
			 South West Essex Teaching n/a 
			 Havering PCT 31.4 
			 Kingston PCT 23.7 
			 Bromley PCT 8.2 
			 Greenwich PCT 23.0 
			 Barnet PCT n/a 
			 Hillingdon PCT n/a 
			 Enfield PCT n/a 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 23.3 
			 City and Hackney PCT n/a 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT n/a 
			 Newham PCT 4.9 
			 Haringey PCT n/a 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 8.2 
			 Ealing PCT 34.2 
			 Hounslow PCT 13.8 
			 Brent PCT 8.8 
			 Harrow PCT 12.4 
			 Camden PCT n/a 
			 Islington PCT n/a 
			 Croydon PCT 15.9 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT n/a 
			 Westminster PCT 3.3 
			 Lambeth PCT 8.9 
			 Southwark PCT 8.8 
			 Lewisham PCT 6.6 
			 Wandsworth PCT 3.9 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 12.9 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 3.6 
			 Redbridge PCT 11.2 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 11.3 
			 Bexley Care Trust 6.3 
			 Medway PCT 15.4 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 25.1 
			 Surrey 10.1 
			 West Sussex Teaching 27.4 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 24.8 
			 Hastings and Rother 3.9 
			 West Kent 18.2 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching 50.4 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 2.2 
			 Portsmouth City PCT 15.3 
			 Southampton City PCT 2.0 
			 Hampshire 10.7 
			 Buckinghamshire 4.2 
			 Oxfordshire 3.7 
			 Berkshire West 3.1 
			 Berkshire East Teaching 6.4 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare 15.0 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 22.5 
			 Plymouth PCT 2.8 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 13.9 
			 Swindon PCT 1.8 
			 North Somerset PCT 28.1 
			 Gloucestershire 44.8 
			 Bristol Teaching 6.7 
			 Wiltshire 26.4 
			 Somerset 3.7 
			 Dorset 5.1 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching 4.9 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 2.9 
			 Devon 3.8 
			 Torbay Care Trust n/a 
			   
			 England 11.1 
			 n/a = For organisations with less than 100 audiological assessment waiters, no median has been calculated as the small data set may lead to statistical inaccuracies.   Note:  1. Some organisations have a median of 'over 52 weeks'. As this is the latest timeband data are collected for, a more accurate measure could not be calculated.   Source:  Diagnostic Monthly Monitoring (DM01)

Herbal Medicine: EC Law

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what records his Department holds on the anticipated range of charges to be levied by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for processing applications under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive for  (a) single ingredient products and  (b) more complex products; and what assistance he plans to make available to small manufacturers to meet these charges;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy urgently to survey specialist manufacturers of herbal remedies to identify the total likely cost burden of submitting dossiers for registration under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if Ministers in his Department will meet a delegation of specialist manufacturers of herbal remedies to discuss compliance with the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive;
	(4)  how the proposed fee of 7,480 for processing applications for registration of complex herbal products under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive has been calculated; and how many such fee payments the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency expects to receive annually;
	(5)  how  (a) the proposed fee of 1,496 for a single day inspection of a manufacturer of herbal products and  (b) the fee of 1,266 for inspection of a wholesale dealer under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive has been calculated; with what frequency such inspections are expected to be undertaken in relation to any one applicant for registration of products under the legislation; and how many of each such fee payments the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency expects to receive annually;
	(6)  whether a full economic impact assessment has been undertaken and published on the proposed fee increases for applications for registration under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive as set out in the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's consultation letter of 17 October 2007;
	(7)  if he will estimate  (a) the anticipated fee income to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency associated with the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive and  (b) the net cost of processing the necessary applications.

Dawn Primarolo: The registration scheme for Traditional Herbal Medicines was introduced in 2005 and the industry was fully consulted on how the scheme would work. The Department appreciates that for many companies moving from what was, for the main part, an unregulated environment into one where systematic standards need to be met does present significant challenges.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has therefore sought to minimise the impact as far as possible by, for example, making full use of the permitted transitional period, until 2011, for products that were legally on the market in April 2004. This allows companies time to prepare to meet the new requirements. In addition, the MHRA continues to have extensive discussions with the industry's herbal forum about the practical arrangements for implementing the directive, and has taken a wide range of practical measures to contain regulatory impact.
	The MHRA is a trading fund and is fully funded by fees for its medicines regulatory work. It monitors costs against fees charged and reviews its fee levels annually. Fees are set, in accordance with Treasury guidelines, with a view to achieving cost recovery for each activity for which it sets a charge.
	The agency published a consultation document (MIX 344) on 17 October proposing changes to the fees it charges in relation to the regulation of human medicines, including traditional herbal medicines, to take effect from 1 April 2008. Full details of all fees in relation to traditional herbal medicines are included in this letter. The MHRA also has provisions for easements of payment of certain capital fees by smaller companies. The consultation letter and details of provisions for smaller companies are available on its website:
	www.mhra.gov.uk.
	The consultation letter includes a draft impact assessment relating to the whole package of fees changes proposed in the letter. The letter also specifically invites smaller companies to respond to the MHRA with details of the effects the proposals will have on their company. The consultation runs until 9 January 2008. The MHRA would particularly welcome responses from traditional herbal medicines companies to complete the impact assessment more fully.
	Individual fees for the herbal medicines registration scheme, for applications and inspections, were subject to full consultation before they were set in 2005. The fees were based on an estimate of the amount of time it would take to undertake each of the activities and the costs of the relevant staff that would be required to undertake those activities. Applications that are more complex take longer to assess and can require staff with more experience to undertake the work. These costs are reflected in the fee charged. The proposed fee of 7,480 for processing applications for registration of complex herbal products containing two or more ingredients not previously assessed by the agency reflects the additional work that would be necessary when assessing ingredients for the first time. The MHRA, however, anticipates that only a minority of applications will fall into this category.
	In setting its fees each year, the agency targets specific changes to fees according to the outcome of a rigorous costing model. The costing model is informed by anticipated unavoidable costs for the agency for the coming year as well as by performance and specific costs in each area of the agency's work. The fees for inspections for traditional herbal products are proposed to be increased by 9.7 per cent. for 2008-09 in line with the outcome from the costing exercise undertaken this year. Other fees in other areas of the agency's work are proposed to change by different amounts all with the intention of recovering full costs for those areas of work.
	Inspections of herbal manufacturers are expected to take place when the application for the manufacturing licence is made and thereafter at least every three years. Based on experience with the scheme so far, the MHRA estimates that 10 inspections of this type might take place in 2008-09. MHRA is currently consulting on proposals for a risk-based inspection strategy which is intended to reduce the regulatory burden of inspections for compliant companies.

Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust: Finance

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monetary value was of the budget reductions made by Hertfordshire Partnership Trust in the  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07 financial year.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service trusts do not receive budgets from the Department but receive income from primary care trusts for services they provide.

Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust: Finance

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage reduction was in the Hertfordshire Partnership Trust budget for the  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07 financial year.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service trusts do not receive budgets from the Department but receive income from primary care trusts for services they provide.

Hillingdon Primary Care Trust: Procurement

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when, and on what terms he permitted Hillingdon Primary Care Trust to access the suppliers under the Framework for External Support for Commissioning.

Ben Bradshaw: Hillingdon Primary Care Trust (PCT) issued tender documentation to a range of relevant suppliers on 2 June 2007 following approval by the PCT board. The PCT has been in discussion with the Department regarding the strengthening of its commissioning functions as part of its organisational recovery programme and the PCT is piloting the Framework for procuring External Support for Commissioners, which was available to PCTs from 31 May 2007.

Hospitals: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were admitted to hospitals in the Greater London area in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number of finished admission episodes for the London strategic health authority area for each of the last 10 years can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes where the strategic health authority of treatment  was the five London SHA's: Data for national health service hospitals, England, 1996-97 to 2005-06 
			  Data year  Finished admission episodes 
			 2005-06 1,919,695 
			 2004-05 1,804,291 
			 2003-04 1,735,112 
			 2002-03 1,638,353 
			 2001-02 1,536,445 
			 2000-01 1,507,249 
			 1999-2000 1,526,984 
			 1998-99 1,155,240 
			 1997-98 1,092,064 
			 1996-97 1,065,336 
			  Notes:  1. Primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) data quality.  PCT and SHA data was added to historic data-years in the HES database using 2002-03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on PCT of treatment and SHA of treatment is poor in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Data quality of PCT of GP practice and SHA of GP practice in 1997-98 and 1998-99 is also poor, with a high proportion missing values where practices changed or ceased to exist. There is less change in completeness of the residence-based fields over time, where the majority of unknown values are due to missing postcodes on birth episodes. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data. The SHA's used to define 'Greater London' were:  Q04 North West London Strategic HA  Q05 North Central London Strategic HA  Q06 North East London Strategic HA  Q07 South East London Strategic HA  Q08 South West London Strategic HA  2. Ungrossed Data  Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  3. Assessing growth through time  HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  4. Finished admission episodes  A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health  Social Care

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England have died of hospital acquired infections in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 November 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people in England have died of hospital acquired infections in each year since 1997. (163677)
	Death certificates record the place where a person dies, but not where any infections may have been acquired. It is not possible from the information on a death certificate to know whether an infection was acquired in the hospital or other place where a patient died. Patients are often transferred between hospitals, nursing homes and other establishments and may have acquired infections in a different place from where they died.
	ONS does not receive information on 'healthcare-acquired infections' but special analyses of deaths involving two infections that are often associated with healthcare, MRSA and Clostridium difficile, are undertaken annually by ONS for England and Wales. The most recent figures were published in reports in Health Statistics Quarterly 33 in February of this year. This publication is available in the House of Commons library.
	The table below provides data on the number of death certificates on which MRSA and Clostridium difficile were mentioned, from 1997 to 2005, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of death certificates where (a) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus( 1)  and (b) Clostridium difficile( 2)  was mentioned, England and Wales, 1996-2005( 3,4) 
			   (a) MRSA  (b) Clostridium difficile 
			 1997 389 (4) 
			 1998 412 (4) 
			 1999 487 975 
			 2000 669 (4) 
			 2001 734 1,241 
			 2002 800 1,428 
			 2003 955 1,778 
			 2004 1,168 2,247 
			 2005 1,629 3,807 
			 (1) Identified using the methodology described in Griffiths C, Lamagni TL, Crowcroft NS, Duckworth G and Rooney C (2004). Trends in MRSA in England and Wales: analysis of morbidity and mortality data for 1993-2002. Health Statistics Quarterly 21, 15-22.  (2) Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 2001-2005. Health Statistics Quarterly 33, 71-75.  (3) Data are for deaths occurring in each calendar year. (4) Deaths involving Clostridium difficile can only be identified using the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). This has been used by ONS for coding mortality from 2001 onwards and in 1999 for a bridge coding study. Data are therefore not available for 1996-98 and 2000 when the Ninth Revision of the ICD was in use.

Hospitals: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the recommendations of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on hospitals in West Suffolk; and when he expects to make his final decision on changes to services in the West Suffolk area.

Ivan Lewis: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel will report back to the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) on hospitals in West Suffolk by the end of December. Until the Independent Reconfiguration Panel's report is received it is not possible to speculate as to when a final decision will be made.

Lung Diseases: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the South Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust area have been diagnosed with  (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and  (b) pneumoconiosis on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regular update meetings the Service Design Division within his Department has with NHS Direct.

Ben Bradshaw: Officials in the Service Design Division have quarterly performance review meetings with NHS Direct and ad hoc meetings as and when necessary.

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average callers to NHS Direct have had to wait to have their call answered in each of the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally but may be available directly from the Chairman of NHS Direct NHS trust. However, the Department does collect monthly data on the percentage of calls that NHS Direct answers within 60 seconds. Following a major transformation programme last year, NHS Direct have improved their performance and are meeting their target, set in June 2007, to answer 95 per cent. of calls within 60 seconds.
	
		
			  Calls answered within 60 seconds 
			   Percentage 
			  2006  
			 October 73 
			 November 69 
			 December 62 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 64 
			 February 55 
			 March 60 
			 April 76 
			 May 87 
			 June 98 
			 July 96 
			 August 96 
			 September 95

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent staff have been employed to answer calls at NHS Direct in each financial year since the service was established.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table. Further information may be available directly from the Chairman of NHS Direct NHS Trust.
	
		
			  Date ( 1) Staff in Post 
			  2005  
			 August 1,727 
			 September 1,746 
			 October 1,718 
			 November 1,722 
			 December 1,697 
			  2006  
			 January 1,674 
			 February 1,667 
			 March 1,647 
			 April 1,638 
			 May 1,592 
			 June 1,553 
			 July 1,500 
			 August 1,481 
			 September 1,447 
			 October 1,409 
			 November 1,382 
			 December 1,342 
			  2007  
			 January 1,338 
			 February 1,478 
			 March 1,589 
			 April 1,514 
			 May 1,443 
			 June 1,432 
			 July 1,408 
			 August 1,389 
			 September 1,401 
			 (1)Total staff includes Health Advisors and Nurse Advisors.

NHS Treatment Centres: Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his Department's review of the information it releases in relation to primary care trusts' contracts with independent sector treatment providers in Cornwall to be completed, as referred to in the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1026W, on health services: private sector.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 12 November 2007
	 The Department published contract information on wave 1 independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) on 15 November 2007,  Official Report, column 79WS.
	There is one contract with an independent sector provider in Cornwall. Information on the content is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  ISTC phase 1 contractual information (as at end of September 2007-08) 
			   Contractual information 
			 Contract GC4 
			 Location East Cornwall 
			 Hospital name Bodmin NHS Treatment Centre 
			 Interim site commencement 1 October 2005 
			 Full service commencement 1 January 2006 
			 Total nominal contract value ( million) 24.9 
			 Contract utilisation to date (30 September 2007) (percentage) 56 
			 Total contracted diagnostics  
			 Total contracted procedures 26,495 
			  Total contracted procedures broken down by health resource group (HRG) chapter  
			 General surgery 215 
			 Orthopaedics 40 
			 Nervous system  
			 Ophthalmology 7,148 
			 ENT  
			 Thoracic procedures  
			 Digestive system 14,984 
			 Urology 182 
			 Gynaecology 3,926 
			  Notes: 1. The total contract value represents the estimated nominal value at the time of signing, calculated in accordance with an estimate of the inflation index as specified in each contract. 2. The contracted activity is indicative only and can vary significantly from actual activity through substitution of higher or lower value procedures across the contract term. 3. Utilisation represents the percentage value of the contract which has been utilised from contract commencement to the end of September 2007-08. 4. Utilisation percentage may change following contract reconciliation which occurs at the end of each contract quarter and year. 5. All information provided has been based on the most up to date information at the time of submission. 6. The specialties are referenced to HRG chapter. General Surgery includes HRG chapters E, G, J, K, P, Q and S. HRG information is available at www.ic.nhs.uk/casemix 7. This information is expected to be updated on a quarterly basis. 8. The Department works with sponsors and providers to ensure optimum utilisation of the contracts. This includes changing the case mix to respond to local need and working with providers and primary care trusts to recover previous under-utilised activity where possible. In addition to the work we are doing across all ISTCs to improve utilisation we are also taking the following action: Bodmin NHS Treatment Centre The strategic health authority (SHA) and the Department of Health (DH) are working closely to ensure Royal Cornwall Trust transfer waiting list patients to the ISTC to achieve an 18 week wait. DH is agreeing a contract change to allow the ISTC to treat patients needing diagnostic endoscopies to achieve a two week wait in cancer referrals. The provider (Capio) is targeting GPs with a marketing campaign to improve direct referrals. 9. If the hon. Member has any questions relating to this release of information please contact Lara Vodanovich at the Department of Health on 0207 633 7626.

NHS: Billing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of invoices were paid on time in each year since 1997 by  (a) NHS trusts,  (b) primary care trusts,  (c) ambulance trusts,  (d) strategic health authorities,  (e) other NHS organisations and  (f) the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Invoices Paid within the Better Payment Practice Code Target 
			  Percentage 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Strategic health authorities 84 85 84 86 84 80 82 85 87 82 
			 Primary care trusts n/a n/a n/a 82 82 83 85 85 84 83 
			 National health service trusts 79 81 84 84 84 82 83 83 77 78 
			 Ambulance trusts n/a n/a 86 89 87 88 88 85 86 82 
			 All NHS 79 81 84 85 84 82 84 83 79 80

NHS: Dental Services

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the population in each primary care trust area has access to NHS dentistry; and how many dentists in each area accept NHS patients.

Ann Keen: Numbers of patients seen by a national health service dentist in the previous 24 months as a percentage of the population are available in Table C2 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2006-07 report. Information is available for the 24 month periods ending 31 March 2006 and 31 March 2007.
	Numbers of dentists on open NHS contracts are available in Table El of Annex 3 of the report. Information is shown as at 30 June, 30 September, 31 December 2006 and 31 March 2007. In both tables information is available for primary care trust and strategic health authority level.
	The report is available in the Library and is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607.
	Published numbers are headcounts and do not differentiate between full and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.
	Although we do not hold information on the number of dentists accepting new patients, a review of dentistry in London, published on 1 November by the Greater London Authority found that, out of 1,223 NHS dentists identified in the study, only 150 were not taking on any new patients.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much was provided by strategic health authorities in 2006-07 as funding support to trusts in financial difficulties, broken down by trust; and on what basis such funding support was given;
	(2)  what cash income injections  (a) his Department and  (b) strategic health authorities provided to trusts in financial difficulties in each of the last three years;
	(3)  what plans his Department has to provide cash income injections for trusts in financial difficulties.

Ben Bradshaw: The information has been placed in the Library.
	Figures given are:
	2004-05 planned support from NHS Bank and internally generated from within the health economy
	2005-06 planned support from NHS Bank and internally generated from within health economy
	2006-07 Resource Account and Budgeting reversals
	2006-07 loans given to national health service trusts
	2006-07 additional cash limits given to primary care trusts.
	From 2006-07, we have introduced greater transparency into the NHS financial system, not least by ending the practice of moving money around the NHS. We have abolished brokerage and planned support, both of which may, in the past, have masked deficits in individual organisations. Whilst in the short term this will have exposed some financial problems in the health care system, our action also means that organisations now have to address these. Strategic health authorities have no right to offer planned support any longer so there are no plans to offer those trusts in financial difficulties any further income injections.
	At the end of 2006-07 NHS trusts were given back RAB income deductions made in 2006-07 as a result of overspending in 2005-06.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the underlying demand cost pressure on the NHS in  (a) cash terms and  (b) percentage terms results from achieving and sustaining the 18 week referral to treatment waiting time target.

Ben Bradshaw: Allocations to primary care trusts provide them with funding to deliver all local and national priorities. The cost of delivering the maximum 18 week general practitioners referral to treatment waiting target by December 2008 will depend on local decisions on how to implement this and other priorities.

NHS: Finance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the per capita funding of each NHS trust in England was in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Revenue allocations are made directly to primary care trusts (PCTs), not national health service trusts. A table showing the funds per capita for each PCT in England for 2006-07 is available in the Library. Revenue allocations to NHS organisations in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

NHS: Finance

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what he expects the underspend on the NHS to be in the North West region in the 2007-08 financial year.

Ann Keen: At quarter 1, 2007-08, the North West strategic health authority economy is forecasting a financial year end surplus of 170 million.

Orthopaedics: Waiting Lists

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for an appointment with  (a) a knee consultant and  (b) a urologist for (i) patients of Wirral Hospital Trust, (ii) patients in Merseyside and (iii) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The information requested has been set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Average Median Time of Patients Still Waiting for a 1st Out-patient Appointment in the Trauma and Orthopaedic Specialty 
			  Area  Weeks 
			 Wirral NHS Trust 3.01 
			 North West 2.62 
			 England 3.09 
			  Notes:  1. The North West is the nearest region we can measure to the Merseyside region.  2. Trauma and orthopaedic surgeons carry out knee surgery.   Source:  Department of Health QM08 and QM08R. 
		
	
	
		
			  Average Median Time of Patients Still Waiting for a 1st Outpatient Appointment in the Urology Specialty 
			  Area  Weeks 
			 Wirral NHS Trust 2.97 
			 North West 2.48 
			 England 2.72 
			  Note:  The North West is the nearest region we can measure to the Merseyside region.   Source:  Department of Health QM08 and QM08R.

Orthopaedics: Waiting Lists

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for  (a) a knee operation and  (b) a hysterectomy for (i) patients of Wirral hospital trust, (ii) patients in Merseyside and (iii) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The information requested is supplied in the following table.
	
		
			   Wirral hospital NHS trust  Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority of residence  England 
			  Operation description  Median time waited (in days)  Median time waited (in days)  Median time waited (in days) 
			 Knee operation 162 164 168 
			 Hysterectomy 59 57 66 
			  Note:  Data provided are for mean and median time waited (in days) rather than waiting times where the main operation was a knee operation or hysterectomy (see footnotes for definitions).  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) can only provide counts for time waited for all finished admissions within a given period. It is important to note that HES time waited figures are different to published waiting list statistics which count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. This elapsed time does not include any wait for referral to a hospital consultant. The data provided are only for elective admissions into hospital for the selected operation from a waiting list or booked elective admissions. The attached results exclude planned elective admissions and unlike published waiting list statistics are not adjusted for self-deferrals (e.g. if a patient deferred an operation as they were on holiday) or periods of medical/social suspension (please see footnotes for definitions of elective admissions from a waiting list, elective booked admissions and planned elective admissions). Note that finished admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. Operational Classification of Interventions and Procedures Version 4.2. (OPSC 4.2)  Knee Operation: W40: Total Prosthetic replacement of knee joint using cement W41: Total prosthetic replacement of knee joint not using cement W42: Other total prosthetic replacement of knee joint  Hysterectomy: Q07.1 Abdominal hysterocolpectomy and excision of periuterine tissue Q07.2 Abdominal hysterectomy and excision of periuterine tissue Q07.3 Abdominal hysterocolpectomy nec Q07.4 Total abdominal hysterectomy nec Q07.5 Subtotal abdominal hysterectomy Q07.8 Other specified abdominal excision of uterus Q07.9 Unspecified abdominal excision of uterus Q08.1 Vaginal hysterocolpectomy and excision of periuterine tissue Q08.2 Vaginal hysterectomy and excision of periuterine tissue NEC Q08.3 Vaginal hysterocolpectomy nec Q08.8 Other specified vaginal excision of uterus Q08.9 Unspecified vaginal excision of uterus R25.1 Caesarean hysterectomy  Data Quality HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Department liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Elective admissions An admission is elective if the patient has been waiting for treatment. There are three types of elective admissions. The above time waited data exclude planned elective admissions:  Elective admissions from a waiting list Most elective admissions are from a waiting list, where the patient has been waiting for a hospital resource e.g. in this case a knee operation or hysterectomy.  Elective booked admissions An increasing number of elective admissions are booked, where the patient was given a date at the time the decision to admit was made, determined mainly on the grounds of resource availability.  Planned elective admissions A smaller group waits for clinical reasons, where the consultant has advised that the patient should return at an appropriate point when the body has had time for nature to take its course. For example, a patient whose broken leg was mended by means of a steel pin would return to hospital a few weeks later to have a pin removed. Or a cancer sufferer is invited for radiotherapy treatment in a sequence of measured doses, with necessary gaps between sessions for recovery and stabilisation.  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Main Operation The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, eg. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.  Time Waited Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.  Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).

Primary Care Trusts: Finance

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding per capita was given to each primary care trust in England in 2006-07; and what the average level was of per capita funding for primary care trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: A table showing the funds per capita for each primary care trust in England and the England average for 2006-07 is available in the Library.

Screening: Private Sector

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of diagnostic scans in the NHS were carried out by private healthcare companies in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not hold the requested data in this format.
	The Department does collect data on the volume of some diagnostic scans carried out in the national health service. Data for the number of echocardiography, computer tomography (CT), DEXA scan, barium enema, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and non-obstetric ultrasound (NOU) carried out in the national health service between September 2006 and August 2007 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Diagnostic test  Total diagnostic activity (this includes planned activity) 
			 MRI 1,196,392 
			 CT 2,305,584 
			 NOU 3,920,621 
			 Barium enema 166,986 
			 DEXA Scan 224,467 
			 Cardiology - echocardiography 774,033 
			  Source:  Department of Health Monthly Diagnostics 
		
	
	Through the Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTC) programme, which is centrally led by the Department's Commercial Directorate, over 372,000 diagnostic episodes have been delivered to NHS patients at the end of September 2007. The above figure includes diagnostic episodes delivered to NHS patients through operational Wave 1 and Phase 2 schemes and the MRI fast-track contract.
	It is not possible to identify the volume of diagnostic scans carried out by private healthcare companies purchased locally by the NHS.

West Hertfordshire Acute Hospital Trust: Waiting Lists

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled at West Hertfordshire Acute Hospital Trust within  (a) seven days and  (b) 24 hours of the appointment time in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the number of last minute cancelled operations for non clinical reasons at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust from 2001-02 to 2006-07 (which are the latest data available).
	
		
			   Number of last minute cancelled operations for non clinical reasons 
			 2001-02 562 
			 2002-03 244 
			 2003-04 815 
			 2004-05 666 
			 2005-06 621 
			 2006-07 929 
			  Notes: 1. Data were collected at health authority level only prior to 2001-02. Trust level data were collected from 2001-02 onwards. 2. A last minute cancellation is one that occurs on the day the patient was due to arrive, after they have arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation. 3. Some common non-clinical reasons for cancellations by the hospital include: ward beds unavailable; surgeon unavailable; emergency case needing theatre; theatre list over-ran; equipment failure; admin error; anaesthetist unavailable; theatre staff unavailable; and critical care bed unavailable.  Source: Department of Health dataset QMCO

West Herts NHS Hospital Trust: Consultants

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were at West Herts NHS Hospital Trust  (a) in each specialty and  (b) in total in each year since 1996-97.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested can be found in the following tables.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes (FCE) for West Herts NHS Hospital Trust (RWG) by main speciality for years 2005-06 to 2000-01: NHS hospitals England 
			FCE 
			  Main speciality code  Main speciality  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02  2000-01 
			  Unknown  *  16 97 1,243 
			 100 General Surgery 9,697 9,900 9,668 9,195 8,838 9,023 
			 101 Urology 4,502 4,532 4,658 4,481 4,264 4,180 
			 110 Trauma  Orthopaedics 7,390 7,246 7,260 7,445 7,432 6,765 
			 120 Ear, Nose  Throat (ENT) 1,236 1,090 1,064 918 1,246 1,229 
			 130 Ophthalmology 2,074 1,841 1,977 1,173 1,274 1,692 
			 140 Oral Surgery 613 706 800 627 521 962 
			 141 Restorative dentistry (oral surgery)*   
			 143 Orthodontics  * 
			 160 Plastic Surgery 8,018 7,712 7,912 7,178 6,679 6,624 
			 170 Cardiothoracic Surgery  38 
			 180 Accident  Emergency (AE) 4,800 3,334 541 394 299 237 
			 190 Anaesthetics 506 442 554 448 464 467 
			 191 Pain Management   *
			 300 General Medicine 9,313 8,914 8,633 9,469 9,916 8,547 
			 301 Gastroenterology 5,872 5,767 5,631 5,205 5,498 5,052 
			 302 Endocrinology 129 200 282 389 676 1,007 
			 303 Clinical Haematology 1,928 2,583 2,884 2,761 2,071 892 
			 314 Rehabilitation*  134 
			 315 Palliative Medicine  331 351 355 400 343 
			 320 Cardiology 3,691 3,308 2,073 1,416 1,490 1,706 
			 330 Dermatology 252 551 564 675 850 911 
			 340 Thoracic Medicine 1,714 1,225 1,362 1,305 1,324 1,461 
			 360 Genitourinary Medicine  * 
			 361 Nephrology 20 46 16 *  * 
			 370 Medical Oncology 292 748 707 505 491 538 
			 400 Neurology 17 17 15 20 23 35 
			 410 Rheumatology 816 502 393 172 183 89 
			 420 Paediatrics 5,430 4,998 5,293 4,973 0 2,405 
			 430 Geriatric Medicine 7,313 7,501 6,819 5,930 4,751 4,995 
			 501 Obstetrics 8,619 8,794 8,385 7,648 8,057 6,325 
			 502 Gynaecology 4,379 4,487 4,616 4,699 5,085 5,495 
			 700 Learning Disability (previously MH)  * * *   
			 713 Psychotherapy   *
			 800 Clinical Oncology (previously Radiotherapy) 820 4,768 4,688 4,606 5,138 5,202 
			 823 Haematology 181 1,149 
			 830 Immunopathology 138 112 96 107 73 15 
			  Total 89,579 91,662 87,245 82,118 77,321 78,761 
		
	
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes for St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust (RPW) and Mount Vernon and Watford NHS Trust (RQL) by main speciality for years 1999-2000 to 1996-97. NHS Hospitals England 
			FCE 
			1999-2000  1998-99  1997-98  1996-97 
			  Report title Main Speciality code  Main speciality  RPW  RQL  RPW  RQL  RPW  RQL  RPW  RQL 
			  Not known * 296  268  344 7 184 
			 100 General surgery 4,341 4,607 3,674 5,172 4,215 5,167 4,557 5,829 
			 101 Urology 2,119 2,073 1,516 2,526 1,506 2,810 1,460 2,965 
			 110 Trauma and orthopaedics 3,360 3,133 2,886 3,268 2,968 3,219 3,077 4,136 
			 120 ENT 1,249  1,082  1,171  1,136  
			 130 Ophthalmology * 1,176 16 861 116 760 118 1,240 
			 140 Oral surgery 38 2,387 32 2,715 53 2,904 149 3,160 
			 143 Orthodontics   *  
			 160 Plastic surgery 143 5,985 151 5,595 208 6,649 237 5,764 
			 180 Accident and emergency 318  341  376  268  
			 190 Anaesthetics 122 209 116 368 102 343 173 300 
			 300 General medicine  9,703 * 10,612 31 9,922 727 9,729 
			 301 Gastroenterology 4,050 146 3,721 918 3,743 1,144 2,777 929 
			 302 Endocrinology 1,466  1,349  1,157  833  
			 303 Haematology (clinical)  456  690  1,044  691 
			 315 Palliative medicine  395  353  449  387 
			 320 Cardiology 1,473  1,416  1,406  1,153  
			 330 Dermatology 846 42 713 33 882 76 856 73 
			 340 Thoracic medicine 1,403  1,067 9 1,222 * 1,138  
			 361 Nephrology **
			 370 Medical oncology  43   
			 400 Neurology 34 10 23 22 * * 8 10 
			 410 Rheumatology 45  33 170 28 404 50 357 
			 420 Paediatrics 5,106 3,217 4,976 6,668 5,537 7,272 5,726 6,367 
			 430 Geriatric medicine 4,409 1,749 4,461 1,910 4,268 2,351 3,637 2,152 
			 501 Obstet for pats using a hosp bed 5,503 3,640 5,156 3,566 5,352 4,384 5,192 3,822 
			 502 Gynaecology 2,260 2,752 1,946 2,460 2,374 2,669 2,943 2,992 
			 800 Radiotherapy 985 4,475 956 5,021 882 4,761 362 3,903 
			 823 Haematology 1,223  770  1,159  1,077  
			  Total 40,496 46,494 36,401 53,205 38,756 56,678 37,661 54,990 
			  Combined total 86,990 89,606 95,434 92,651 
			  Notes: 1. Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time some shortcomings remain.  2. Assessing growth through time  HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  3. FCE  An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  4. Specialty  Care is needed when analysing HES data by specialty, or by groups of specialties (such as Acute). Trusts have different ways of managing specialties and attributing codes so it is better to analyse by specific diagnoses, operations or other recorded information. Trusts may change the way they manage speciality codes through time. Speciality code 420For the period 2001/02 no data was received from the trust for this speciality. This has been investigated with the trust but no conclusive cause has been found.  5. Ungrossed Data  Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  6. Low Numbers  Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with an * (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional smallest number have been suppressed in order to protect.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care

West Herts NHS Hospital Trust: Waiting Lists

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for  (a) elective in-patient admissions and  (b) first out-patient appointments were in each specialty at West Herts NHS Hospital Trust in each year since 1996-97.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which Minister is leading his Department's review of the academies programme; on what date the review was commissioned; which officials in his Department are carrying out the review; what the involvement in the review is of the No. 10 Downing Street Policy Unit; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on what date his Department will complete its review of the academies programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  which  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials and  (c) other individuals and outside bodies attended the academies seminar on 1 November 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The review of the academies programme was agreed on 12 September 2007 at a routine meeting between the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PMDU) chaired by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State asked PMDU officials to work with Treasury and DCSF officials in the Academies Group of the Department on the review, which will be completed before the end of the year.
	The seminar on 1 November was attended by a number of officials and a range of stakeholders in the academies programme. The Department considers release of the names and organisations of those taking part in the seminar would have an inhibiting effect on the free and frank discussions required in policy reviews and would disrupt our ability to meet our wider objectives.
	PMDU reviews are confidential advice to Ministers; we do not disclose the recommendations or publish the report.

Academies: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what start-up revenue funding each academy school was allocated in its first 12 months of operation; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Under their funding agreements, academies are entitled to two types of start-up grant. Both are payable in the first year of operation, but may continue at a lower rate in subsequent years depending on the speed at which the academy concerned builds up towards its full capacity.
	The first type of start-up grant is for books, materials, software and educational equipment. It is calculated on a formulaic basis for all academies and the amount payable depends mainly on pupil numbers, although the rates used vary slightly according to whether there is a predecessor school, and whether the academy has a sixth form. The first academic year's allocation is paid in three monthly instalments, from September to November. Subsequent years' grants, if payable at all, are always at a significantly lower level.
	The second type of grant has two elements. One is intended to compensate for the diseconomies of scale incurred on senior and middle management costs while an academy is still significantly below capacity. It is payable until the academy is 90 per cent. full. Up to the academic year 2007/08 it has been paid following assessment of bids, but from 2008/09 will be paid on a formulaic basis derived from the size of the academy. The other element is normally payable only in the first year and relates to transitional costs such as senior staff training and other costs arising from conversion. Academies bid for most of these although, again, for certain items a formulaic approach will be used from 2008/09.

Academies: Greater Manchester

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies sponsored by the local authority  (a) exist and  (b) are planned in Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Manchester city council is acting as co-sponsor for seven academy projects. The first of these are projected to open in September 2009.

Academies: Pupil Exclusions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many permanent exclusions were made by each academy in the 2006-07 school year; how many such exclusions were made in the last full year of each academy's predecessor school; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Permanent exclusions data for 2006/07 are not yet available. They are expected to be published in June 2008.
	Permanent exclusions reported by an academy in its first year refer only to those exclusions from the academy. Exclusions from the predecessor school are not included, even if these exclusions occurred during the reporting period in which the academy was established. Such exclusions would be attributed to the predecessor school.

Academies: School Day

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which academy schools have extended the length of the school day since their establishment; what the new hours are in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect these data.

Assessments: Wales

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he has carried out an assessment of the effects of abolishing key stage tests in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: No. The assessment of pupils in Welsh schools is a matter for the Welsh Assembly. Tests for pupils in key stages 2 and 3 have, and will continue to have, an important place in our strategy for further raising standards in schools across England.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether an objective of the Building Schools for the future programme is to amalgamate existing schools into new larger schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: It is not an objective of Building Schools for the Future to consolidate existing schools into new larger schools. Matters of school organisation including the size of schools are decided locally. There are clear statutory procedures for proposals to open, close or alter schools, which include local consultation. Building Schools for the Future provides an excellent opportunity for authorities to consider how best to deliver education in their area, including how to raise standards and to provide greater choice and diversity of provision.

Children: Poverty

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to ensure child poverty targets are met.

Beverley Hughes: To ensure that the target of halving child poverty is met the Government have recently published a Delivery Agreement (DA), underpinning the Child Poverty Public Service Agreement (PSA), which sets out all of the key policy activities to deliver the 2010 target. The Government have also published other key PSA DAs aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people and tackling the effects of povertythrough narrowing the gap in educational achievement, raising educational attainment, improving children's health and well-being, increasing the number of young people on the path to success, and improving the safeguarding of children. The achievement of these public service agreements will all contribute towards meeting the 2020 target of eradicating child poverty.
	The Government are currently putting in place governance arrangements at both Ministerial Cabinet Committee level and official levels to meet the 2010 and 2020 child poverty targets.
	In addition, as part of the Machinery of Government changes (June), the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has also recently established a new Child Poverty Unit, announced on 29 October by Peter Main, which has brought together policy and analytical officials from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DSCF) to co-ordinate and develop child poverty policy.

Class Sizes: Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the ratio is of pupils to teachers in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Easington constituency.

Jim Knight: In January 2007, the latest information available, the within school ratio of pupils to teachers (PTR) for primary and secondary schools in Easington constituency were 22.4 and 16.7 respectively. The equivalent figures for England were 21.8 and 16.5.
	The information provided is from the DCSF School Census. The within school PTR is calculated by dividing the total FTE number of pupils on roll in schools by the total full-time equivalent number of teachers regularly employed in schools.

Classroom Assistants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department has issued to schools on the roles and responsibilities of  (a) teaching assistants and  (b) technicians working in schools.

Jim Knight: This Department has not issued guidance to schools on the roles and responsibilities of these categories of school staff.

Classroom Assistants: Qualifications

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of teaching assistants working in schools have a  (a) level one,  (b) level two and  (c) level three qualification as their highest qualification.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available in the form requested but the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff in Schools Survey, a DCSF survey which took place in 2006, did collect some information on the qualifications of support staff. This information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Levels of qualification for support staff( 1)  in service in England, 2006 
			   Support staff category 
			   Teaching assistant equivalent( 2)  Pupil welfare  Technician  Other pupil support  Facilities  Administration  Site 
			  Qualifications  no.  %  no.  %  no.  %  no.  %  no.  %  no.  %  no.  % 
			 None 11 2 10 4 3 1 57 17 73 36 10 2 70 36 
			 GCSE D-G 57 12 24 9 26 9 37 11 16 8 28 6 11 6 
			 GCSE A*-C 132 27 90 34 72 26 65 20 20 10 101 21 21 11 
			 CSE 230 46 85 32 68 25 125 38 71 35 17 36 70 36 
			 O Level 316 64 149 57 177 64 145 44 63 31 360 76 48 25 
			 A/AS Level 125 25 96 37 112 41 56 17 16 8 140 29 14 7 
			 Cert Ed 48 10 24 9 25 9 24 7 10 5 18 4 10 5 
			 Foundation degree 19 4 9 3 4 1 5 2 1 1 11 23 1 1 
			 Degree 51 10 73 28 85 31 26 8 3 2 62 13 7 4 
			 Higher degree 13 3 32 12 18 7 9 3 3 2 17 4 2 1 
			 (1) Respondents to the survey were asked to select all qualifications held and therefore may have selected more than one category of qualification. (2) Teaching assistant equivalent support staff includes Higher Level TAs, LAs (SEN pupils), Nursery Nurses, Therapists and TAs in primary, secondary or special schools.  Source: DCSF sample survey

Education Maintenance Allowance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect of education maintenance allowance payments on achievement by students receiving them.

Jim Knight: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the operation of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Scheme. An analysis of the impact of EMA on participation and attainment has been commissioned by the LSC and the results of this analysis are due to be published in November 2007. A copy of these reports, with a summary of key findings, will be placed in the House Library when they are published.

Education: Climate Change

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will provide grants for the recruitment of external experts to teach climate change science and sustainability in primary and secondary schools.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 15 November 2007
	 We want all schools to become Sustainable Schools by 2020. The Sustainable Schools Framework and self evaluation tool have been designed, following wide consultation, to help senior managers, teachers and pupils adopt a whole school approach so that schools' commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by the way the buildings and grounds are managed, their relationships with the local community and through the curriculum. To become sustainable, schools need to develop their own expertise, drawing on external support where they identify it is needed.
	Expert organisations, such as the Met Office, the Association of Science Education and the Royal Geographical Society already provide support and resources for teachers. Science Learning Centres provide training for both primary and secondary teachers in sustainability and the science of climate change. There are many other sources of support including businesses, local authorities and non-governmental organisations. We have no plans to provide grants for external experts to teach climate change and sustainability in schools.

Education: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what direction has been given to the Isle of Wight council in relation to proposed structural changes to the educational system on the island;
	(2)  what changes are  (a) planned and  (b) proposed for (i) high schools, (ii) middle schools, (iii) primary schools and (iv) nursery schools on the Isle of Wight.

Jim Knight: holding answer 15 November 2007
	The Secretary of State has not issued a direction to the Isle of Wight in relation to the structure of schools within the local authority's area.
	School place planning is a local matter and it is for the local authority to work with local stakeholders to determine whether structural changes should be proposed to the organisation of schools. Where changes are proposed, a statutory process must be followed which provides for consultation with those affected; formal publication of a notice in a local newspaper and other places where those affected might see it; and an opportunity for people to submit comments and objections. Most decisions will be taken by the local authority with some explicit powers of appeal to the schools adjudicator.

Education: Overseas Students

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether EU citizens from other member states aged between 16 and 18 years old resident in England will have to remain in education or training until the age of 18 years old under the terms of the proposed Education and Skills Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: All young people resident in England would be subject to the requirement to remain in education and training until their 18(th) birthday or completion of a level 3 programme, whichever is the earlier. This would include 16 and 17-year-olds resident in England who are citizens of other countries.

Education: Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what results he expects his Department's pursuit of the five outcomes for children and young people to age 19 to have had by 2010 on  (a) all pupils in education and  (b) those pupils at Key Stage 4 in that year in schools which achieved (i) 70 per cent. or above five A*-C grades and (ii) 62 per cent. five A*-C grades including English and mathematics in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Pupil performance and well-being go hand in hand, and doing well in education is the most effective route for young people out of poverty and disaffection. We introduced the Every Child Matters agenda to give every child the best start in life so they realise their potential because this is crucial to every child's life chances and to society's well-being. Educational attainment is at the very heart of Every Child Matters. It is a key priority which goes hand in hand with a child's well-being.
	We know that there are benefits to the individual, the country and society from the attainment of qualifications. Individuals who achieve a level 2 qualification, equivalent to five or more GCSEs at A*-C, earn on average around 100,000 more over their lifetime than those who leave learning with qualifications below level 2. In addition to higher wages, better qualified individuals enjoy improved employment prospects, are more likely to get promoted and undertake further learning in the future. There are also wider benefits such as better health and improved social skills. Higher skill levels lead to increased productivity for businesses and those who achieve qualifications are less likely to experience teenage pregnancy, be involved in crime or behave antisocially. That is why, by 2010-11, we expect 82 per cent. of 19 year-olds to achieve a level 2 qualification.
	We know too that approximately 75 per cent. of young people who have had a positive experience at school, and have achieved level 2 by the age of 16, go on to attain level 3 qualifications. And, of those young people who obtain 5 A*-C GCSEs in year 11, approximately 52 per cent. go on to degree level study. We want more young people to gain higher level skills and have the opportunity to progress to higher education if they want to. To help deliver this ambition we have set a target of 54 per cent. of 19 year-olds to achieve a level 3 qualification by 2010-11 in CSR07.

Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  whether the new independent qualification regulator will be empowered to carry out sampling tests of pupils on a random basis to independently verify changes in educational standards; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on what date he plans to publish the consultation documentation on the future of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Jim Knight: We plan to publish a consultation paper setting out our proposals for the future of qualifications regulation and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority around the turn of the year. This will include proposals for the powers of the new independent regulator of qualifications and tests. My right hon. friend the Secretary of State will make a statement to the House to announce the start of the consultation.

Free School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether people aged 16 to 18 years in full-time education studying in  (a) school sixth forms,  (b) sixth form colleges,  (c) further education colleges and  (d) academies, whose parents fulfil the qualifying criteria in other respects, are entitled to free lunches; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Where parents fulfil the qualifying criteria, local authorities or school governing bodies have a duty to provide free school meals to children who are registered pupils at schools. This includes those in school sixth forms, and academies, but not those attending sixth form or further education colleges. We have no plans to change the criteria for free school meals.

Free School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what proportion of pupils were entitled to free school meals in each school in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of pupils had special educational needs in each school in England in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the Library. This contains figures for the current year, figures for earlier years cannot be provided within the time scale.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Young Offenders

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what proportion of 16-year-olds who had been in custody for more than one year were entered for GCSE examinations in each year since 2001;
	(2)  what proportion of 16-year-olds in custody gained five A* to Cs at GCSE in each year since 2001.

Jim Knight: The information required to answer the question is not held centrally.

Head Teachers: Parenting Orders

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made on granting new powers to head teachers to apply to courts for parenting orders.

Jim Knight: The provisions in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to allow school governing bodies to apply to courts for parenting orders following either exclusion, or serious misbehaviour by pupils which would warrant exclusion if continued, came into force on 1 September 2007.

LEAs: Cost-effectiveness

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list local education authorities in England ranked in order of value for money by correlating guaranteed per pupil funding for 2006 with the percentage of pupils attaining five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C including English and mathematics in 2006.

Jim Knight: The following table shows local authorities ranked, where 1 is the highest, by the percentage of pupils achieving 5+A*-C at GCSE and equivalent (including English and mathematics) in academic year 2005/06 and by funding per pupil in financial year 2005-06.
	A correlation of funding and attainment would not provide a meaningful measure of value for money. Those local authorities with higher levels of deprivation and other needs receive higher levels of funding per pupil to deliver the additional support required to raise standards and narrow the attainment gap between these groups of pupils and their peers. The factors which attract higher levels of funding are also those which are known to be associated with lower levels of attainment.
	
		
			  Local authority  Percentage of pupils achieving level 2 threshold including English and mathematics in 2005/06  Rank of percentage achieving level 2 threshold including English and mathematics  Funding per pupil in 2005-06 ()  Rank of funding per pupil 2005-06 
			 Barking and Dagenham 37.7 112 4,979 22 
			 Barnet 55.9 8 4,903 25 
			 Barnsley 30.7 140 4,325 90 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 52.0 19 4,051 134 
			 Bedfordshire 44.1 67 4,263 99 
			 Bexley 50.3 25 4,401 69 
			 Birmingham 40.8 90 4,882 28 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 38.6 105 4,742 34 
			 Blackpool 34.2 129 4,350 82 
			 Bolton 38.0 109 4,354 79 
			 Bournemouth 43.6 72 4,076 129 
			 Bracknell Forest 47.2 49 4,352 80 
			 Bradford 34.0 130 4,668 39 
			 Brent 48.9 35 5,603 15 
			 Brighton and Hove 41.8 83 4,456 61 
			 Bristol, City of 30.4 141 4,528 53 
			 Bromley 54.2 12 4,478 59 
			 Buckinghamshire 59.1 2 4,331 87 
			 Bury 47.9 44 4,145 118 
			 Calderdale 43.8 71 4,335 86 
			 Cambridgeshire 50.2 27 4,121 121 
			 Camden 45.7 57 6,462 6 
			 Cheshire 50.6 23 4,035 138 
			 Cornwall 43.9 70 4,175 113 
			 Coventry 37.8 111 4,505 55 
			 Croydon 42.7 79 4,752 33 
			 Cumbria 45.3 60 4,272 96 
			 Darlington 44.7 63 4,272 95 
			 Derby 42.2 81 4,348 83 
			 Derbyshire 45.5 58 4,050 135 
			 Devon 46.2 54 4,121 122 
			 Doncaster 34.8 125 4,443 63 
			 Dorset 50.0 30 4,052 133 
			 Dudley 43.0 75 4,107 124 
			 Durham 40.4 95 4,365 77 
			 Ealing 48.8 37 5,372 16 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 49.8 32 4,043 136 
			 East Sussex 41.3 87 4,330 89 
			 Enfield 43.0 75 4,928 23 
			 Essex 45.2 61 4,277 93 
			 Gateshead 45.0 62 4,483 58 
			 Gloucestershire 53.8 13 4,066 130 
			 Greenwich 31.4 139 6,032 11 
			 Hackney 36.7 118 6,845 2 
			 Halton 33.3 135 4,697 37 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 49.0 34 6,372 8 
			 Hampshire 50.2 27 4,032 139 
			 Haringey 34.3 128 5,743 13 
			 Harrow 53.4 16 4,788 31 
			 Hartlepool 37.5 113 4,553 51 
			 Havering 54.6 10 4,370 76 
			 Herefordshire 48.2 42 4,268 97 
			 Hertfordshire 53.7 14 4,233 105 
			 Hillingdon 43.5 73 4,791 30 
			 Hounslow 50.9 22 5,219 18 
			 Isle of Wight 36.8 117 4,433 66 
			 Islington 32.8 137 6,603 4 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 54.3 11 6,565 5 
			 Kent 46.8 50 4,310 91 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 25.9 148 4,581 46 
			 Kingston upon Thames 58.6 4 4,602 44 
			 Kirklees 40.8 90 4,377 73 
			 Knowsley 26.1 147 4,897 27 
			 Lambeth 41.7 85 6,607 3 
			 Lancashire 45.9 55 4,202 111 
			 Leeds 40.4 95 4,341 85 
			 Leicester 33.5 133 4,736 35 
			 Leicestershire 46.7 51 3,883 148 
			 Lewisham 40.8 90 6,205 10 
			 Lincolnshire 48.6 39 4,226 107 
			 Liverpool 35.5 121 4,901 26 
			 Luton 36.5 119 4,727 36 
			 Manchester 29.0 145 5,122 20 
			 Medway 44.0 68 4,215 109 
			 Merton 39.5 100 4,865 29 
			 Middlesbrough 30.3 142 4,925 24 
			 Milton Keynes 38.7 103 4,484 57 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 33.5 133 4,672 38 
			 Newham 41.1 89 5,631 14 
			 Norfolk 44.5 64 4,214 110 
			 North East Lincolnshire 35.4 122 4,343 84 
			 North Lincolnshire 38.5 106 4,266 98 
			 North Somerset 47.4 48 4,085 126 
			 North Tyneside 47.9 44 4,276 94 
			 North Yorkshire 53.5 15 4,147 117 
			 Northamptonshire 42.1 82 4,125 120 
			 Northumberland 48.9 35 4,291 92 
			 Nottingham 28.5 146 4,996 21 
			 Nottinghamshire 40.1 97 4,037 137 
			 Oldham 35.4 122 4,555 50 
			 Oxfordshire 47.5 47 4,259 100 
			 Peterborough 39.4 102 4,556 49 
			 Plymouth 42.5 80 4,223 108 
			 Poole 52.0 19 3,991 142 
			 Portsmouth 29.2 144 4,388 71 
			 Reading 46.5 52 4,753 32 
			 Redbridge 59.1 2 4,640 41 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 40.1 97 4,464 60 
			 Richmond upon Thames 49.7 33 4,355 78 
			 Rochdale 37.1 115 4,627 42 
			 Rotherham 37.5 113 4,350 81 
			 Rutland 56.1 7 4,175 112 
			 Salford 32.0 138 4,622 43 
			 Sandwell 29.7 143 4,592 45 
			 Sefton 44.0 68 4,330 88 
			 Sheffield 37.1 115 4,374 75 
			 Shropshire 50.3 25 4,158 115 
			 Slough 55.2 9 5,147 19 
			 Solihull 50.5 24 3,990 143 
			 Somerset 44.5 64 4,065 131 
			 South Gloucestershire 44.4 66 3,947 146 
			 South Tyneside 39.5 100 4,578 47 
			 Southampton 36.2 120 4,521 54 
			 Southend-on-Sea 49.9 31 4,406 68 
			 Southwark 34.4 127 6,378 7 
			 St. Helens 38.0 109 4,386 72 
			 Staffordshire 42.8 78 3,963 145 
			 Stockport 50.1 29 3,967 144 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 41.2 88 4,375 74 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 33.3 135 4,549 52 
			 Suffolk 45.9 55 4,057 132 
			 Sunderland 33.9 132 4,456 62 
			 Surrey 52.7 18 4,241 103 
			 Sutton 63.1 1 4,557 48 
			 Swindon 40.7 93 4,079 128 
			 Tameside 38.5 106 4,249 101 
			 Telford and Wrekin 39.6 99 4,240 104 
			 Thurrock 38.5 106 4,491 56 
			 Torbay 45.5 58 4,161 114 
			 Tower Hamlets 34.0 130 6,937 1 
			 Trafford 57.0 6 4,119 123 
			 Wakefield 42.9 77 4,226 106 
			 Walsall 34.9 124 4,398 70 
			 Waltham Forest 38.7 103 5,272 17 
			 Wandsworth 41.8 83 5,887 12 
			 Warrington 48.6 39 3,928 147 
			 Warwickshire 48.0 43 4,081 127 
			 West Berkshire 51.6 21 4,423 67 
			 West Sussex 47.7 46 4,144 119 
			 Westminster 40.6 94 6,212 9 
			 Wigan 41.7 85 4,149 116 
			 Wiltshire 48.5 41 4,102 125 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 52.8 17 4,439 64 
			 Wirral 46.3 53 4,434 65 
			 Wokingham 57.7 5 4,245 102 
			 Wolverhampton 34.7 126 4,653 40 
			 Worcestershire 43.1 74 3,994 141 
			 York 48.8 37 4,003 140 
			  Notes: 1. Price Base: Real terms at 2006-07 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 26 September 2007. 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education formula spending (EFS) settlements and include the pensions transfer to EFS and the Learning and Skills Council. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged three to 19 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. 4. The pupil numbers used to convert  million figures to  per pupil are those underlying the EFS settlement calculations. 5. Isles of Scilly have been excluded due to small numbers. 6. Where underlying values are equal, authorities are given the same rank value.

Pre-School Education: Fees and Charges

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the proportion of families using less than 12.5 hours a week of early years education for children who are eligible to receive it without paying but are paying a fee; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 13 November 2007
	It is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure the early education entitlement is completely free at the point of delivery for all eligible three and four-year-olds. They should ensure that the providers to whom they make funding available make no charge for any element of the free entitlement. We expect them to take vigorous action if they identify any circumstances in which parents are charged inappropriately.

Primary Education: Music

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many primary school pupils were given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: This information is not routinely collected by the Department. However, in 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2007 the Department commissioned surveys of Local Authority Music Services, which collected data on the prevalence of music tuition. A report of the 2007 survey is due to be published on 21 November 2007. Previous survey reports are available at:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/research
	Data from these surveys on the prevalence of specialist instrumental and vocal tuition are summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  percentage 
			  Academic year  KS1 pupils reported as receiving specialist instrumental or vocal tuition  KS2 pupils reported as receiving specialist instrumental or vocal tuition 
			 2001/02 (1) 12 
			 2004/05 2 13 
			 2006/07 (2) (2) 
			 1 Data not available for KS1. 2 Data to be published on 21 November 2007.  Note: Data from the 1999 survey were not comparable to following surveys and cannot be reported in this table. Most Music Services reported providing tuition for between 4 per cent. and 10 per cent. of their school population in 1999, but this was not broken down by Key Stage. 
		
	
	Specific national funding to support the widening of opportunities for primary children to access instrumental and vocal provision began in 2003. Data from the surveys on participation in this programme are reported in the following table:
	
		
			  percentage 
			  Academic year  KS1 pupils reported as being involved in wider opportunities activities  KS2 pupils reported as being involved in wider opportunities activities 
			 2003/04 (1) 8 
			 2004/05 (1) 10 
			 2005/06 5 22 
			 2006/07 (2) (2) 
			 (1) Data not available. (2) Data to be published on 21 November 2007. 
		
	
	The above figures do not take account of music tuition provided by those operating outside of local authority arrangements.

Pupils: Absenteeism

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the rate of  (a) unauthorised and  (b) authorised absence was in Year 9 in each month since 2003;
	(2)  what the rate of  (a) unauthorised and  (b) authorised absence in secondary schools was in each month since 2003;
	(3)  when and with what frequency pupil absence data are collected for each school year group.

Jim Knight: The first year for which information is available on absence rates by national curriculum year group is 2005/06 and relates to secondary schools only. Data are not available broken down by month of absence.
	The available information is shown in the tables.
	Data on pupil absence are collected via the School Census; secondary schools returned pupil absence data via this route for the first time in 2005/06 with primary schools making their first School Census return in January 2007. The School Census is collected three times per year with absence data being collected one term in arrears: the schedule of collections is:
	January School Censuscollects absence data for the autumn term;
	May School Censuscollects absence data for the spring term; and
	October School Censuscollects absence data for the first half of the summer term.
	Special schools return absence data annually as part of the October School Census. Data are collected for all pupils of compulsory school age who are not boarding
	
		
			  Maintained Secondary Schools, City Technology Colleges and Academies( 1) : Pupil Absence in National Curriculum Year 9( 2) , 2005/06, England 
			  Total 
			Percentage of half days missed( 3) 
			   Number of day pupils of compulsory school age( 4)  Authorised absence  Unauthorised absence  Overall absence 
			  National Curriculum Year Group 9 598,760 6.76 1.30 8.06 
			  
			  Total( 5) 2,983,040 6.82 1.42 8.24 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) See Notes to Editors 10 of SFR11/2007 for further information on how absence figures by national curriculum year group have been derived.  (3) The number of sessions missed due to authorised/unauthorised/overall absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions.  (4) Pupil numbers are as at January 2006. Includes pupils aged 5 to 15 with sole and dual (main) registration. Excludes boarders.  (5) Includes pupil enrolments for whom information on national curriculum year group was missing.   Note:  Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained Secondary Schools( 1) , Pupil Absence, 2003/04 to 2004/05, England 
			Percentage of half days missed by all pupils 
			   Number of day pupils of compulsory school age( 2)  Authorised absence  Unauthorised absence  Overall absence 
			 2003/04 3,050,589 6.92 1.14 8.06 
			 2004/05 3,037,013 6.58 1.23 7.81 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed, excludes city technology colleges and academies.  (2) Pupil numbers include pupils aged 5 to 15 with sole and dual (main) registration. Excludes boarders.   Source:  Survey of School Absence. 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained Secondary Schools( 1) , Pupil Absence, 2005/06, England 
			 Percentage of half days missed by all pupils 
			   Number of day pupils of compulsory school age( 2)  Number of pupil enrolments( 3,4)  Authorised absence  Unauthorised absence  Overall absence 
			 2005/06 2,951,570 3,024,730 6.82 1.42 8.24 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed, excludes city technology colleges and academies.  (2) Pupil numbers include pupils aged 5 to 15 with sole and dual (main) registration. Excludes boarders.  (3) Number of pupil enrolments in schools between 1 September 2005 and 27 May 2006. Includes pupils on the roll for at least one sessions who are aged between 5 and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once if they moved schools during the school year or are registered on more than one school.  (4) There were some 7,240 cases from maintained secondary schools for whom absence data were missing. These cases have been excluded from the total number of pupil enrolments. 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained Secondary Schools( 1) , Pupil Absence, Autumn Term 2006 and Spring Term 2007, England 
			Percentage of half days missed by all pupils 
			   Number of pupil enrolments( 2,3)  Authorised absence  Unauthorised absence  Overall absence 
			 Autumn 2006 2,940,960 5.92 1.35 7.26 
			 Spring 2007 2,926,420 6.77 1.61 8.38 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed, excludes city technology colleges and academies.  (2) Number of pupil enrolments in schools between 1 September 2005 and 27 May 2006. Includes pupils on the roll for at least one session who are aged between 5 and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once if they moved schools during the school year or are registered on more than one school.  (3) There were some 7,240 cases from maintained secondary schools for whom absence data were missing. These cases have been excluded from the total number of pupil enrolments.   Source:  School Census.

Pupils: Absenteeism

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued to headteachers on the collection of absence data for the period May to July;
	(2)  what plans he has to review the accuracy of pupil absence data collected for the period May to July.

Jim Knight: Data on pupil absence are collected via the school census. The school census is carried out three times per year with absence data being collected one term in arrears: the schedule of collections is:
	January School Censuscollects absence data for the autumn term
	May School Censuscollects absence data for the spring term.
	October School Censuscollects absence data for the first half of the summer term.
	School census guidance notes covering all the information collected via the census are prepared and made available for schools and local authorities via the Teachernet website in advance of each census.
	The pupil registration regulations 2006 require that a school records attendance and absence data for the full academic year. However, the Department does not collect absence data for the second half of the summer term i.e. for the period from late May to July.

Pupils: Biometrics

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of total spending by schools on provision of equipment for collecting fingerprints of pupils in each year between 2003-04 and 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect details of schools expenditure on equipment for collecting fingerprints of pupils and has no plans to do so.

Pupils: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the real terms annual change was in the minimum funding guarantee for pupils in each year since 2000-01; what he expects it to be in each year until 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following table sets out the level of the minimum funding guarantee for each year from 2004-05, when it was introduced, until 2010-11.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Primary  Secondary 
			 2004-05 4.0 4.0 
			 2005-06 5.0 4.0 
			 2006-07 4.0 3.4 
			 2007-08 3.7 3.7 
			 2008-09 2.1 2.1 
			 2009-10 2.1 2.1 
			 2010-11 2.1 2.1

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of funding per pupil in real terms using 2005-06 prices available in each local authority area in each year since 2001-02; how much will be available in each year until 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the House Library.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons he has not granted operational independence to the whole of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: At present, there is an inherent conflict of interest between the QCA's functions. The QCA is responsible for developing the content of public qualifications and tests and for the delivery of National Curriculum tests, as well as for regulating those qualifications and tests.
	It would not be sufficient simply to make the QCA as it stands more independent of Ministers: we need to make sure that the regulator's functions do not conflict, or have any appearance of conflict, and that there is a clear accountability framework for the regulator.
	We have therefore announced the creation of a new independent regulator to ensure that the qualifications and tests taken both by young people and adults continue to command the full confidence of employers, further and higher education institutions and the wider public.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to set up a shadow Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to independently maintain educational standards.

Jim Knight: Following the consultation on our proposals for the future of qualifications regulation, we intend to establish a shadow regulator before the 2008 summer exams.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what date the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority will move to Coventry; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority plans to relocate to Coventry between late spring 2009 and autumn 2009.

School Funding Settlement

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-31WS, on the school funding settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11 what estimate of the average cost pressures on schools in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11 underlay the decreases in the minimum funding guarantee; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Our assessment is that the national average of the wide range of cost pressures on pay and non-pay faced by schools over the next three years will be 2.1 per cent., which takes account of a 1 per cent. efficiency gain

School Funding Settlement

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 27-31WS, on the school funding settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11 what assessment he has made of how schools can make the annual efficiency gains of 1 per cent. in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Jim Knight: The Department recognises the need to support schools in improving value for money, and recently commissioned a study to assess the activities through which schools can operate more efficiently and the level of support required to ensure that schools have the right culture, capacity and capability to deliver improvements in value for money.
	This work has identified a range of activities in which schools may seek efficiency gains including leadership remodelling, the wider school workforce, collaboration and partnership, purchasing, strategic management and the level of challenge offered to schools. There is already strong support available to schools in many of these areas through the Department, local authorities and other partner organisations.
	The Department is now working towards a further package of support for schools, details of which will be announced in due course.

School Leaving

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the evidential basis is for compulsory training or education for 17 and 18 year-olds being economically beneficial for  (a) individuals and  (b) the public purse; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Individuals who stay on in education or training after 16 are more likely to gain further qualifications by 18 than those who do not, and they are likely to earn more in the future. Those with level 2 qualifications in particular (the equivalent of five GCSEs A*-C) earn an average of around 100,000 more over their lifetime than those who leave learning with qualifications below level 2. Individuals with higher levels of qualifications have better chances of finding, keeping and progressing in employment. There are also wider benefits related to further participation, including better health and a lower tendency towards crime. More information and references on this can be found in the Green Paper, Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
	Analysis has shown that raising the participation age will lead to substantial economic benefits for the country. The Initial Regulatory Impact Assessment that was published with the Green Paper has also been placed in the House Library. These projections are being revised and independently reviewed before being published in December, in the Impact Assessment that will accompany the Bill.

School Leaving

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the expected lifetime earnings gains to young people with low status who take up  (a) level 1 and  (b) level 2 qualifications after year 11; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Expected lifetime earnings benefits will depend on: (i) the type of level 1 or level 2 qualification someone gains; (ii) their age when it is acquired; and (iii) the level of any other qualifications they hold. Current estimates take account of (i) and (iii), are based on average earnings benefits irrespective of when the qualification was gained, and assume that young people have around a 40-year working life.
	Lifetime earnings benefits have not been estimated for level 1 qualifications. Earnings by qualification are obtained from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), but it is difficult to identify consistently and robustly people with level 1 qualifications, and hence the earnings gains associated with these qualifications.
	Most people who achieve level 2 after year 11 do so through acquiring vocational qualifications. Analysis undertaken by McIntosh (2007)(1) estimates that young people with a level 2 Apprenticeship earn on average around 65,000 more over their working lifetime than those who leave learning with qualifications at level 2 or below. The lifetime earning benefit for an NVQ2 qualification is around 20,000. Most people with academic qualifications at level 2 achieve them during compulsory schooling, as opposed to after year 11. We currently estimate that young people with five or more GCSEs A*-C (or 5 O-level passes) earn on average around 100,000 more over their working lifetime than those who leave learning with below level 2 qualifications.
	These estimates are averaged across young people from all socio-economic groups. There is some indicative evidence [Dearden et al, 2004(2)] that wage returns for NVQ2 qualifications may be higher for individuals from lower socio-economic groups.
	The Government's reforms to education and skills aim to increase the proportion of pupils who achieve level 1 and level 2 and to reduce the achievement gap among those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have a target for 82 per cent. of young people to achieve level 2 by age 19 by 2010-11. The introduction of Diplomas, Functional Skills, the Foundation Learning Tier, and the expansion of apprenticeships are key elements of the reforms. We have recently announced our intention to bring forward legislation to raise the participation age in learning to 18 by 2015. Achieving qualifications at level 2 is the minimum level required for future employability.
	(1) Mclntosh, S. (2007) A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Apprenticeships and Other Vocational Qualifications, Department for Education and Skills Research Report 834.
	(2) Dearden, L., McGranahan, L. and Sianesi, B. (2004) An In-Depth Analysis of the Returns to National Vocational Qualifications Obtained at Level 2, Centre for the Economics of Education Discussion Paper 46.

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on new schools opening in areas where there are surplus places; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Local authorities, as commissioners of educational services, are responsible for balancing the supply and demand of school places in their area. They have a duty to ensure there are sufficient school places, that the needs local parents and children are served, and that good quality education is provided in a cost-effective way.
	Local authorities may commission new schools where there is a need for extra places, and where they wish to reorganise provision and remove surplus places by replacing existing schools with new schools. Providers other than the local authority may also propose new schools in areas where there are surplus places, where this will increase diversity and parental choice, subject to the Secretary of State's agreement.
	Where a new school is to be commissioned the local authority will normally be required to hold a competition and invite proposals from a range of potential providers. Only in exceptional circumstances will the Secretary of State grant an exemption from a competition.

Schools: Attendance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which 20 secondary schools had the biggest gap between pupil attendance and the funded school roll in the latest year for which figures are available; what the gap was in each case; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will list the 50 maintained schools with the worst attendance figures in England in 2007; what the comparable figures for their performance were in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Jim Knight: Regulations specify that the budget set by the local authority for a school is based on the number of pupils on the school roll as reported in the January School Census.
	Attendance figures are not published. School level information on absence rates, number of pupils on roll and performance indicators for 2004/05 and 2005/06 is available in the House Library. Data for 2006/07 are not yet published. Those will be available in January and placed in the Library. However, due to underlying changes in the data collection, absence rates for 2006/07 will not be directly comparable with earlier years.

Schools: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what factors were taken into account in determining the school funding settlement for Bournemouth for 2008 to 2010.

Jim Knight: Bournemouth's allocation of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2008-09 to 2010-11 will depend on the following factors: the authority's 2007-08 guaranteed unit of funding for DSG; and the number of pupils aged three to 15 in the authority's schools and early years providers. Full details of the calculation of Dedicated Schools Grant allocations may be found on TeacherNet at:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=12222

Schools: Finance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what account is taken of deprivation levels in deciding allocations of the dedicated school grant to local authorities; and what allocations of the grant was  (a) for Metropolitan borough of Wirral and  (b) on average for English local authorities in 2006-07.

Jim Knight: The distribution method for Dedicated Schools Grant starts from each authority's budgeted spend for schools in 2005-06, which largely reflects the historical allocation of resources through the Schools Formula Spending Share (FSS) formula, which gave additional funding for area costs, additional educational needs including deprivation, and sparsity. The total amount of funding distributed for deprivation nationally was 2,512 million of a total of 26,574 million and for Wirral 21 million from a total of 171 million. The Dedicated Schools Grant per pupil for Wirral for 2006-07 was 3,270 compared with an average for English local authorities of 3,411.

Schools: Rural Areas

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in England serve rural communities; how many of these are voluntary aided primary schools; how many rural schools have used staff procedures with two panels constituted from the same governing body; and how many of these have resulted in the dismissal of a member of staff.

Jim Knight: The Department uses the Countryside Agency's Rural and Urban Area Classification to identify rural schools. There are currently 1,074 rural voluntary aided primary schools and 32 rural voluntary aided secondary schools in England.
	We do not collate national statistics on the circumstances and frequency of school work force dismissals. In the case of staff dismissal, the responsibility for this decision falls to the school's governing body, although the initial decision to dismiss can be delegated to the school's head teacher.
	Where a school wishes to dismiss a member of staff, they must give that person the opportunity to make representation to the governing body (or head teacher) before the decision to dismiss can be taken. Where an initial dismissal decision is made, the member of staff must also be given an opportunity to appeal against that decision. The appeal hearing should be undertaken by at least three governors who have not been involved in any previous action or decision connected with the dismissal.

Schools: Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects the first executive board to take over management of a failing school further to the Prime Minister's announcement of 31 October 2007.

Jim Knight: The Prime Minister referred to Interim Executive Boards (IEBs) in his speech on 31 October. These were introduced in the Education Act 2002. A local authority (LA) can apply to the Secretary of State for permission, temporarily to replace the governing body of a school which has been placed in the Ofsted categories of special measures or significant improvement; or which has not responded satisfactorily to a formal local authority warning notice under section 60 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. The Secretary of State also has a reserve power to establish an IEB in exceptional cases.
	The IEB takes on all of the powers and responsibilities of the governing body. So far 54 applications from local authorities have been approved and the Secretary of State has established two IEBs.
	Once each IEB has fulfilled its objectives there is a phased return to normal governance.

Schools: Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which failing schools have been identified for possible takeover further to the Prime Minister's announcement on 4 September;
	(2)  what the Government's policy is on independent schools taking over failing maintained schools.

Jim Knight: The Prime Minister's announcement on 4 September referred to the establishment of federations between high-performing schools and those in need of educational improvement. This initiative does not involve the takeover of any school, but will retain the separate identities of the schools concerned, while facilitating closer partnership working and the exchange of expertise and experience. Discussions are currently taking place to confirm the schools which will take part in the initiative and we expect to make an announcement in the new year.
	Successful fee-paying independent schools are being encouraged to sponsor or support an academy. The independent school can become the lead sponsor, taking on full responsibility for setting up and running a new academy or it may choose to become a co-sponsor, providing significant support through transfer of educational expertise, but looking to other sponsors to lead on other aspects of the school's development. Following a recent policy change, successful independent schools are not required to provide a cash endowment when sponsoring an academy. For successful independent day schools that want to serve their whole local community and broaden their pupil intake, there is the opportunity to become academiesmaintaining the benefits of their autonomy, ethos and leadership, but ceasing to charge fees.

Science

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to work with outside agencies to improve young people's understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We are already working with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, to improve young people's understanding of these subjects. For example we have set up:
	the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) High Level Strategy Group to implement proposals and report on progress on the Government's STEM Programme. This group includes representatives from the Royal Society, Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the CBI; and
	the STEM Advisory Forum, a mainly virtual forum that allows anyone, including employers, teachers, professional bodies, with an interest in STEM to contribute their views.
	We also work directly with a range of external organisations both to help develop policy and provide support directly to schools. These include the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the Training and Development Agency for Schools, Lifelong Learning UK, the National Strategies, the network of Science Learning Centres, the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics, the Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET), and the Learning and Skills Network.
	The Government very much value the contribution these outside organisations make to this agenda and will continue to work with them.

Secondary Education: Admissions

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of students in each London borough were unable to secure a secondary school place within their borough of residence in each of the previous five years.

Jim Knight: We do not currently hold those data. However, we are consulting on draft regulations that propose to require local authorities to submit data on secondary preferences in future, including the number of children being offered a school place within their authority area. The consultation document is available on the DCSF website at:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/conDetails.cfm?consultationld=1506

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what his Department's expectation is of the level of take-up of  (a) vocational and  (b) academic diplomas in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the proportion of the school population in each age cohort who will be studying  (a) GCSEs,  (b) A-levels,  (c) academic diplomas and  (d) vocational diplomas in each year from 2008 to 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Government do not recognise the distinction between vocational and academic Diplomas. All 14-19 Diplomas will include theoretical and applied elements and are designed to move the country on from the sterile debates of the past about the academic vocational divide.
	Figures put forward by the successful consortia applying through the first Gateway Process indicate that there will be approximately 39,000 places available for learners on the 'Phase 1' five new 14-19 Diplomas from September 2008. We anticipate that this will increase so that around 140,000 young people will be engaged in one of the first 10 Diploma lines from September 2009. These are the first steps on a phased roll-out of the new Diplomas. All 17 Diplomas will be available to young people from 2011. Projections of study broken down by other type of qualification are not available.

Specialised Diplomas: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what additional funding will be provided to each local authority area for the new diploma programmes in each year from 2006-07 to 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We provided through dedicated schools grant an increase of 40 million in 2006-07 and a further 70 million in 2007-08, a total of 110 million, to support more practical learning options at key stage 4. That funding is now part of the DSG baseline going forward and we expect local authorities to utilise it to support the roll out of diplomas. We will announce allocations for 2008/09 of specific formula grant to further support the roll out of diplomas in December: allocations for subsequent years will be announced after we have received the results of the relevant gateway processes.

Specialist Schools: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the extent to which spending on specialist schools has targeted educational disadvantage; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Specialist Schools Programme is a universal offer open to all maintained secondary schools in England which meet the required standard. Over 86 per cent. of schools are now specialist and many are based in and around areas of social deprivation. The Department's CVA research uses detailed data about individual pupils taking into account factors like gender, ethnicity and deprivation and maps pupils' prior attainment at primary school on to their eventual results at GCSE level. This allows us to calculate that, on average, individual pupils (regardless of their social background) make good progress at specialist schools. Specialist status is linked to higher results at GCSE whether this is on the 5+A*-C measure, VA or CVA, which is why we continue to invest some 422 million a year in specialist school funding.
	Specialist schools benefit from external sponsors, links with their community and an achievement ethos. They are focused on whole-school improvement through their specialism, backed up by challenging targets and partnerships with other schools. By working collaboratively with other schools to share specialist facilities and resources, the effects of specialist school funding are disseminated beyond the individual school.

Sure Start Programme

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Phase  (a) 1,  (b) 2 and  (c) 3 Sure Start centres (i) there are and (ii) are planned in each (A) local education authority and (B) Parliamentary constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Government are on track to meet their commitment to deliver a Sure Start Children's Centre for every community in England by 2010, offering integrated services that will improve outcomes for young children, and reduce inequalities between the most disadvantaged and the rest. The following table shows, for each local authority, the number of centres (1) operational as at 9 November 2007 (2) planned for delivery by 2008 and (3) calculated by DCSF as required to reach the remaining children under five in phase 3. The Department does not record a breakdown of centres by constituency.
	
		
			  Local Authority  (1) Number operational centres (includes phase 1 and phase 2)( 1)  (2) Number phase 2 centres planned for designation by 2008  (3) DCSF calculation on centres required in phase 3 
			 Barking and Dagenham 11 3 3 
			 Barnet 3 10 9 
			 Barnsley 14 5 2 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 5 3 3 
			 Bedfordshire 14 12 10 
			 Bexley 8 0 5 
			 Birmingham 49 18 13 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 12 1 2 
			 Blackpool 10 2 2 
			 Bolton 6 9 4 
			 Bournemouth 2 3 2 
			 Bracknell Forest 1 5 3 
			 Bradford 21 12 11 
			 Brent 5 7 8 
			 Brighton and Hove 9 5 5 
			 Bristol, City of 11 12 7 
			 Bromley 4 12 7 
			 Buckinghamshire 14 10 11 
			 Bury 3 8 3 
			 Calderdale 8 10 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 6 22 13 
			 Camden 12 4 2 
			 Cheshire 14 17 13 
			 Cornwall 21 14 7 
			 Coventry 14 5 4 
			 Croydon 8 10 6 
			 Cumbria 16 7 8 
			 Darlington 4 2 2 
			 Derby, City of 8 6 4 
			 Derbyshire 23 20 12 
			 Devon 15 16 14 
			 Doncaster 14 8 3 
			 Dorset 10 7 7 
			 Dudley 8 9 5 
			 Durham 34 9 6 
			 Ealing 18 5 8 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 6 8 6 
			 East Sussex 20 8 7 
			 Enfield 10 3 8 
			 Essex 23 37 30 
			 Gateshead 10 5 1 
			 Gloucestershire 15 16 11 
			 Greenwich 15 8 4 
			 Hackney 13 2 1 
			 Halton 9 2 2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5 7 3 
			 Hampshire 14 46 29 
			 Haringey 11 7 4 
			 Harrow 5 3 7 
			 Hartlepool 5 2 1 
			 Havering 2 6 4 
			 Herefordshire 6 3 3 
			 Hertfordshire 21 28 30 
			 Hillingdon 4 9 7 
			 Hounslow 13 1 6 
			 Isle of Wight 8 0 1 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 1 0 
			 Islington 11 5 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 5 3 0 
			 Kent 18 50 30 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 12 5 2 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4 3 4 
			 Kirklees 18 14 7 
			 Knowsley 13 3 1 
			 Lambeth 13 13 3 
			 Lancashire 55 5 18 
			 Leeds 29 21 9 
			 Leicester, City of 11 7 5 
			 Leicestershire 4 22 15 
			 Lewisham 6 8 4 
			 Lincolnshire 13 24 12 
			 Liverpool 21 3 1 
			 London, City of 1 0 0 
			 Luton 13 6 5 
			 Manchester 27 6 5 
			 Medway 7 7 6 
			 Merton 2 7 5 
			 Middlesbrough 8 4 2 
			 Milton Keynes 8 4 7 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 10 6 2 
			 Newham 10 10 1 
			 Norfolk 21 15 15 
			 North East Lincolnshire 6 6 1 
			 North Lincolnshire 9 2 3 
			 North Somerset 3 6 5 
			 North Tyneside 10 1 3 
			 North Yorkshire 9 18 12 
			 Northamptonshire 16 12 16 
			 Northumberland 17 6 5 
			 Nottingham, City of 11 5 2 
			 Nottinghamshire 24 24 12 
			 Oldham 6 8 3 
			 Oxfordshire 20 9 17 
			 Peterborough, City of 7 4 4 
			 Plymouth, City of 8 8 4 
			 Poole 2 4 3 
			 Portsmouth 7 6 3 
			 Reading 4 6 4 
			 Redbridge 5 6 8 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 8 2 2 
			 Richmond upon Thames 6 3 5 
			 Rochdale 10 4 2 
			 Rotherham 12 7 3 
			 Rutland   1 
			 Salford 9 6 2 
			 Sandwell 12 6 3 
			 Sefton 11 5 3 
			 Sheffield 18 12 6 
			 Shropshire 14  6 
			 Slough 5 1 4 
			 Solihull 8 3 3 
			 Somerset 23 10 10 
			 South Gloucestershire 9 2 6 
			 South Tyneside 9 3 0 
			 Southampton 12 0 4 
			 Southend on Sea 5 5 3 
			 Southwark 12 8 2 
			 St Helens 8 4 1 
			 Staffordshire 14 25 15 
			 Stockport 3 12 5 
			 Stockton on Tees 5 5 3 
			 Stoke on Trent 8 5 4 
			 Suffolk 17 18 13 
			 Sunderland 15 2 2 
			 Surrey 25 13 29 
			 Sutton 3 7 4 
			 Swindon 7 3 5 
			 Tameside 12 3 2 
			 Telford and Wrekin 9 3 3 
			 Thurrock 5 4 4 
			 Torbay 4 3 1 
			 Tower Hamlets 14 4 3 
			 Trafford 7 3 5 
			 Wakefield 17 4 4 
			 Walsall 11 4 3 
			 Waltham Forest 12 2 5 
			 Wandsworth 6 9 8 
			 Warrington 4 7 3 
			 Warwickshire 17 14 12 
			 West Berkshire 3 3 4 
			 West Sussex 16 20 17 
			 Westminster, City of 7 5 3 
			 Wigan 7 11 4 
			 Wiltshire 7 14 10 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1 5 4 
			 Wirral 10 10 4 
			 Wokingham 1 6 4 
			 Wolverhampton 10 6 3 
			 Worcestershire 12 13 11 
			 York, City of 2 6 4 
			 (1) A significant number of centres that started development in phase 1 (2004-06) were not designated until the phase 2 period (2006-08). The Department did not make a rigid. distinction for centres in this categoryphase 1 and 2 designation figures are therefore presented as a combined total. 
		
	
	.

Sure Start Programme: Expenditure

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what expenditure on Sure Start was in 2006-07; and how much has been allocated to the programme in 2007-08.

Beverley Hughes: Sure Start expenditure for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is shown in the table. Total expenditure includes Sure Start local programmes, child care, some nursery education funding and Sure Start Children's Centres.
	
		
			  Sure Start current and capital expenditure 
			   Amount ( million) 
			 2006-07 1,384 
			 2007-08 1,645

Teachers: Qualifications

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  whether he proposes to raise the minimum level of qualifications required for teachers in maintained schools; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what data his Department hold on the qualifications achieved by those applying for initial teacher training programmes; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many entrants to initial teacher training programmes had  (a) English,  (b) mathematics and  (c) science GCSE grades of (i) A/A*, (ii) B and (iii) C in each year from 2000-01 to 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The minimum qualifications for those entering teacher training were reviewed in 2006 and were reflected in revisions to the Secretary of State's Requirements for Initial Teacher Training which have operated since September 2007 and can be found at http://www.tda.gov.uk/partners/ittstandards.aspx?keywords=requirements+for+itt. We have no current plans to review these again.
	The amount of data held centrally on the qualifications achieved by those applying for initial teacher training programmes is limited because the Requirements for Initial Teacher Training place the onus on ITT providers to ensure that they only accept candidates who reach the required minimum standards. Information that is held centrally on qualification levels of people beginning undergraduate and postgraduate initial teacher training is given at Annexes A and B. No data are held centrally on the GCSE subjects and grades of entrants for the same reason, but all must have reached the required minimum of grade C or equivalent to be accepted.

Teachers: Recruitment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what new incentives are to be offered to teachers to teach in unpopular schools further to the Prime Minister's announcement of 31 October 2007.

Jim Knight: The forthcoming Children's Plan will set out the Government's ambition for school improvement and how the Department for Children Schools and Families will drive the necessary changes across the schools system.

Teachers: Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) target and  (b) outturn numbers of recruits to initial teacher training in each secondary school subject were in each year since 2001/02; what the target is for 2007/08; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: (a) The following table shows the targets set for recruitment to mainstream Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in each secondary subject for each academic year between 2001/02 and 2007/08:
	
		
			  Initial teacher training places( 1) : Academic years 2000/01 to 2007/08England 
			   2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Secondary(1) 17,390 17,790 19,475 19,500 18,500 17,500 16,500 
			  of which:
			 Mathematics 1,940 1,940 2,315 2,350 2,350 2,350 2,350 
			 English (including Drama) 2,160 2,350 2,350 2,350 2,200 2,040 1,920 
			 Science 2,810 2,850 3,225 3,225 3,225 3,225 3,225 
			 Modern foreign languages 2,050 2,050 2,050 2,050 1,900 1,790 1,670 
			 Technology 2,150 2,500 2,850 2,895 2,890 2,730 2,515 
			  of which( 2) :
			 Design and Technology1,085 1,060 1,010 930 
			 Information and communications technology1,050 1,100 1,040 985 
			 Business Studies760 730 680 600 
			 History 900 950 950 910 810 700 600 
			 Geography 1,175 1,100 985 935 925 850 770 
			 Physical Education 1,200 1,200 1,500 1,500 1,450 1,310 1,180 
			 Art 850 850 900 880 800 700 600 
			 Music 705 700 700 725 690 640 600 
			 Religious Education 650 700 700 730 730 695 665 
			 Citizenship  200 250 250 240 230 220 
			 Economics, Social Sciences, Classics, Other subjects 450 300 300 300 290 240 185 
			 Vocational subjects(3)400
			 Margin of flexibility/Secondary reserve(4) 350 100 400 
			 (1) Includes SCITT but excludes employment-based routes. (2) Number of places for individual technology subjects is not available before 2004/05. (3) Places for vocational subjects in 2006/07 are included with the allocation for related academic subject: Science includes places for applied science, design and technology includes both manufacturing and engineering, ICT includes applied ICT, business studies includes applied business, geography includes leisure and tourism, art includes applied art and other subjects includes health and social care. In 2004/05 places for vocational subjects were shown separately. In 2003/04 the margin of flexibility included places for a vocational subjects pilot. (4) The margin of flexibility/secondary reserve constituted places that the TDA could allocate to any secondary subject, to support providers whose baselines would otherwise be below economic levels; to ensure the appropriate denominational balance; and to help providers with a high proportion of places in shortage subjects and who therefore had particular uncertainty of income.  Source:  DfES 
		
	
	 (b) Recruitment figures to mainstream ITT courses in each secondary school subject each academic year between 2001/02 and 2006/07 are shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Recruitment to initial teacher training courses( 1,2) : Academic years 2000/01 to 2006/07England 
			   2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07 
			  Secondary by subject   
			 Mathematics 1,550 1,670 1,940 2,030 1,920 2,000 
			 English (inc. Drama) 2,220 2,480 2,420 2,380 2,110 2,210 
			 Science (4) 2,590 2,700 2,870 2,830 2,890 2,990 
			 General sciences  1,180 
			 Biology  930 
			 Chemistry  530 
			 Physics  350 
			 Modern foreign languages 1,710 1,730 1,820 1,620 1,500 1,500 
			 Technology (5) 2,160 2,400 2,670 2,610 2,510 2,580 
			 History 920 990 1,000 910 850 730 
			 Geography 1,030 950 990 900 820 760 
			 Physical education 1,330 1,330 1,590 1,530 1,530 1,410 
			 Art 840 890 930 860 780 630 
			 Music 650 600 620 600 620 660 
			 Religious education 590 580 590 630 660 790 
			 Citizenship(6) 150 190 220 240 220 230 
			 Other (7) 230 170 230 250 360 230 
			 Vocational subjects (8)   160 280 340 330 
			 Total 15,980 16,670 18,050 17,670 17,110 17,040 
			 Fast Track (3) 80 90 240 310 330  
			 Grand total 16,060 16,760 18,290 17,980 17,440 17,040 
			 (1) Recruitment figures for 2006/07 are provisional and are subject to change. (2) Includes Universities and other HE institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment based routes. Recruitment numbers shown are rounded to the nearest 10. (3) 2001/02 was the first year of Fast Track recruitment. The programme ended in 2005/06. (4) Prior to 2006/07, the breakdown for science subjects was not available. (5) Technology includes design and technology, information and communications technology, business studies, graphics, textiles and food technology. (6) 2001/02 was the first year of recruitment for citizenship. (7) Other includes classics, dance, economics, media, performing arts and social studies. (8) Vocational subjects includes applied art and design, leisure and tourism, applied ICT, applied science, applied business, engineering, manufacturing, and health and social care.  Sources:  TDA's ITT Trainee Numbers Census 2000/01 - 2006/07 
		
	
	Places for vocational subjects, except for 2004/05, are included within the allocation for the related academic subject. Recruitment figures show vocational subjects separately from 2003/04 on. Updated tables, incorporating final 2006/07 and provisional 2007/08 recruitment data are scheduled to be published in January 2008.
	The Training and Development Agency (TDA) announcement of 12 November 2007 included provisional recruitment figures for academic year 2007/08 for mainstream secondary overall and Science by subject. 16,219 were on mainstream secondary courses, including 968 Biology, 739 Chemistry and 477 Physics specialists.

Young People: Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects to publish the action plan on providing young people with jobs, education or training.

Beverley Hughes: The Department published its strategy for reducing the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) on 5 November 2007. It is planned to follow this with a toolkit in January 2008 to help local authorities and their delivery partners develop and deliver their local plans for reducing NEET.

Young People: Employment

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the evidential basis was for his statement that around one per cent. of 16 to 18 year-olds are long-term not in education, employment and training.

Jim Knight: The estimate that around one per cent of 16 to 18 year-olds are long-term not in education, employment or training comes from the Youth Cohort Study. This study first contacts young people in the spring after they have finished compulsory education and collects information on their activities. Follow up studies are conducted at annual intervals, typically for a further three years.
	The estimate of one per cent. comes from the proportion of young people who report being not in education, employment or training at each of the first three surveys, at academic age 16, 17 and 18. Because the Youth Cohort Study only measures activity at snapshots in time, it is possible that some of the one per cent. may be involved in some education, employment or training in the times in between surveys. The estimate of one per cent. is consistent for the cohort that took GCSEs in 2001 and the cohort that took GCSEs in 2003.